Saving tara-iti, shell by shell

In the dunes of Bream Bay, DOC workers and volunteers are shifting shells by hand to build safer nesting habitat for tara-iti. With only about 45 birds left, every nest matters. Producer Liz Garton tags along on this important working bee.

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LEARN MORE:

• Listen Checkpoint covering the 2025 tara-iti breeding season
• Mangawhai is one of only four nesting spots for tara-iti, but a local community leader is warning of major environmental concerns
• 3D printed eggs helped ensure a record-breaking 2024 breeding season
• Find the OCW episodes mentioned in the podcast Alison Balance on an egg retrieval and Ayana Piper-Healion’s lizard hunting episode.

GUESTS:

• Ayla Wiles, DOC’s Tara-iti Programme Lead
• Ari Carrington, Patuharekeke Te Taiao Unit
• Robyn Davies, Waipu About Tern volunteer

THIS EPISODE:
(00:00) Meet tara iti, New Zealand’s rarest endemic breeding bird.
(06:41) What we know about tara iti and their remaining breeding sites.
(11:52) Captive rearing and the breakthrough lifting chick numbers.
(13:43) GPS tracking reveals the birds’ long-distance journeys.
(16:46) Volunteer monitoring and the birds’ distinctive personalities.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details