Kia ora
The Cape Sanctuary are urgently needing volunteers, both short term and long term, to help out at the Kotahi Shore Plover aviary at the Sanctuary out at Ocean Beach. Classed as Nationally Critical, these awesome little birds arecurrently found only on a few predator-free islands in the Chatham Islands and around mainland New Zealand. It is one of the world’s rarest shorebirds.
For more information on tūturuatu on visithttps://www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/shore-plover The aviary is a joint initiative between the Cape Sanctuary and DOC. In partnership with Kotahi, the country’s largest export supply chain collaboration, the Cape Sanctuary, a significant wildlife restoration programme at Cape Kidnappers and the Department of Conservation, opened the Kotahi Aviary to provide New Zealand’s third tūturuatu/shore plover captive breeding facility.
The East Coast Hawke’s Bay Conservation Board, Te Tairāwhiti ki Te Matau-a- Māui, recently visited the Kotahi Shore Plover/tūturuatu aviary and the Cape Sanctuary at Ocean Beach highlighted the plight of the tūturuatu and efforts to stop this species from becoming extinct. A media release from that trip is available at HBApp httpss://cdn.hbapp.co.nz/news/914
Details of the job:
- Morning and/or afternoon feeds
- Observations
- Any other tasks required by the aviary manager (cleaning/weeding)
Each ‘shift’ is made up of the following
- Prepare the food
- Feed out
- Visual health checks of the birds using binoculars
- Observations post-feed (extra important now we have breeding on site to get sightings of any chicks that hatch)
- Clean up
Each shift can be completed in 1.5-2+ hours. Timing of feeds is flexible, but morning feed preference is to be out by 9.30 am in summer.
You need:
- Your own transport to the aviary
- Good standards of containment to prevent predators getting in/birds getting out
- Must be comfortable working on your own, unsupervised (manager can be reached by phone, reception is patchy on site)
- Your own wet-weather gear and gumboots (optional but recommended)
- Be confident in moving around space with small birds and possibly their chicks that are very camouflaged!
Training will be provided to those who can commit to helping regularly/be on call over summer
- We are looking for people on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays to cover staff weekend.
If you think you might enjoy helping with the tūturuatu please contact:
Rebecca Diederichsen
Aviary Manager
Shore Plover Captive Breeding Facility
193 Ocean Beach Road, HASTINGS
Mob:+64 27 650 1807
