Every now and then, if you’re watching birds around the harbour, you may notice something small and unusual on a bird’s legs. It might be a metal band, a coloured band, or a combination of several colours. U63 – Black billed gull showing off it's band These bands are part of an important conservation and research tool that helps scientists, conservation groups and wildlife managers understand where birds go, how long they live, how they use different habitats, and what challenges they face....

A huge thank you to everyone who took part in our Autumn 5 Minute Bird Count in May. Over the weekend of the 8th and 9th of May, volunteers spent five minutes observing and recording the birds they could see and hear at sites around the harbour. These counts are a simple but powerful way to help us build a long-term picture of bird populations across the area. What Did We See? This autumn, 26 checklists were completed, recording 583 individual birds across 28 species. Of the 28 species...

The two species of gulls most commonly seen on and around our harbour and beach areas are the Southern black-backed gull (Karoro) and the red-billed gull (Tarāpunga). Nationally, both species are abundant with the red-bills occurring in much greater numbers locally. Red-billed gull (left), black-backed gull (right). Photo credit Corinne Bowie. In recent years the red-billed gull has suffered declines at their main breeding colonies. These losses are thought to be associated with the reduced...