Protecting an endangered gull making Ashburton home

Driving over the Ashburton bridge you may have seen a large colony of nesting birds, but did you know these were the world’s most endangered gull?

They are tarāpuka, or black-billed gulls. These shy river gulls are so low in numbers they are on the threatened species lists, along with the kiwi and kākāpō.

Know your gulls

The tarāpuka is one of three gulls native to Aotearoa New Zealand. The karoro/black-backed gull is the most abundant and known to cause problems for picnickers and other bird species. Less common is the red-billed gull – you’ll see them in urban areas, they are quite noisy, and they nest along the coast.

You can see the rare tarāpuka, with their black-tipped wings, dark legs and beaks, nesting along the stony islands in the Ashburton River when crossing the SH1 bridge.

Noisy island keeps the predators away

Tarāpuka are nesting on a river island by the bridge to stay safe from predators like cats, stoats and ferrets, and even the karoro who are known to eat their eggs and chicks. Karoro don’t like the noise from the bridge so generally stay away.

Because these birds are nesting so close to town, people disturbing their habitat can be a threat – especially dog walkers and four-wheel drivers (4WD).

So please, help these endangered birds out during the breeding season (Aug-Feb) by:

• Avoiding the area with your 4WD, stick to 4WD parks or tracks elsewhere
• Keeping your dog on a leash and avoiding the riverbed
• Avoiding bird colonies, and if you do accidentally disturb birds, move on quickly and quietly.