Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre

17/09/2026

HE TOHU… IT’S A SIGN! 👀

PŌTIHIA TE NGUTU PARE WRYBILL!

And show some aroha for ngā manu takutai — our shorebirds! ❤️

There are five votes to play with in Te Manu Rongonui o te Tau 2026, so why not shore up the Shore Bird Party with your other choices?

Already voted? Ngā mihi nui! Share the campaign and tell your mates — let's keep raising the profile of our extraordinary manu.

Voting closes this Sunday, 20 September, at 5pm.

https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/wrybill


Voting ends tghis Sunday ant 5pm
To vote:
Vote Ngutu Pare Wrybill:
https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/wrybill

Voting closes Sunday, 5pm

HE TOHU — it’s a sign…

While the Ngutu Pare Wrybill head south, the kaupapa continues back at Pūkorokoro.

The Shorebird Centre is still flying the flag for Te Manu Rongonui o te Tau 2026, while our friends at Ashley Rakahuri Rivercare Group keep the story moving from the river end.

And if you were looking for a sign that you should VOTE WRYBILL — and persuade a few other people to do the same — well…

THIS IS PROBABLY IT.
Even though it's only in our moemoeā.

Tūnga: Kei te haere tonu te kaupapa
Status: the kaupapa continues.

Vote Ngutu Pare Wrybill:
https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/wrybill

Then tell your mates.

12/09/2026

The Kuaka Kids Race is more than just a run, it's an adventure! Young explorers will follow the incredible migration of Pūkorokoro's own kuaka (bar-tailed godwits), stopping at stations as they "fly" from New Zealand to China, on to Alaska, and then all the way back home again.

And that’s right, we have an awesome pair of binoculars that one lucky child will take home, so their adventure can continue long after race day.

Our hope is that this event, and especially the Kuaka Kids Race, will spark people’s imaginations and inspire a lifelong appreciation for Aotearoa's incredible taonga and native wildlife. Shorebirds are among our most remarkable species, yet they often don't receive the same attention as our forest birds. Through fun, adventure, and hands-on learning, we hope to help the next generation discover just how extraordinary these birds really are.

12/09/2026

Thinking about love… and a 718 km commute.

At Pūkorokoro, Ngutu Pare Wrybill are busy feeding up before the big journey south to their braided-river breeding grounds.

Because long-distance love requires fuel. Quite a lot of it.

Worms: disappearing.
Breeding plumage: near complete
Romantic logistics: increasingly serious.

Somewhere down south, a little grey rock-shaped guy may be waiting.

MISSION: BENTLOVE2026 is underway.

And while they fuel up for looove, we’ve got 9 days left to get Ngutu Pare Wrybill onto as many Bird of the Year ballots as possible.

Vote here:
https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/wrybill

10/09/2026

Indeed, the Pūkorokoro Airport is getting busy with both International Arrivals and Domestic Departures.

At this time of year, Ngutu Pare Wrybill begin leaving their northern wintering grounds and heading south to the braided rivers of Te Waipounamu to breed.

That means some of the birds we’re seeing here now may soon be bound for very different river systems — Rakahuri, Rakaia, Rakitata, the Mackenzie Basin and beyond.

WRYFORCE has, naturally, interpreted this as an airport situation.

Domestic departures are open. Romantic connections are not guaranteed.

Follow the campaign here:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wryforce
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vote.wrybill/

And if Ngutu Pare Wrybill are on your Bird of the Year ballot, vote here:
https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/wrybill

PŪKOROKORO AIRPORT IS GETTING BUSY NOW.

International arrivals are starting to come in.
Domestic departures are preparing to head out.

As our Arctic migrants begin returning to Pūkorokoro for summer, Ngutu Pare Wrybill are getting ready to leave — heading south again to their braided-river breeding grounds across Te Waipounamu.

It’s quite the seasonal changeover.

At the WRYFORCE terminal:

Destination: various
Baggage: not recommended
Romantic connections: not guaranteed

MISSION: BENTLOVE2026

Somewhere down south, apparently, romance awaits.

Voting is open until 20 September.

Vote Ngutu Pare Wrybill:
https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/wrybill

04/09/2026

It's Bird of the Year time and SARGE IS M.I.A.

Last year, Sarge BW-BW led WRYFORCE into battle for Bird of the Year. A veteran Ngutu pare / Wrybill, he'd been returning to the Rakahuri / Ashley River for around 15 years.

This year, he hasn't come back.
No sighting. No check-in. No Sarge.
We don't know where he is — but we're not writing the old bird off. He could still be out there.

But at 9am this morning, the polls opened.
Someone had to take command.
Unfortunately, it appears to be this lot.

Meet the WRYFORCE crew Sarge left in charge. 👇
Swipe through for the new chain of command. We can only apologise in advance.

Meanwhile, Ngutu pare have considerably more serious business underway — they're heading south from Pūkorokoro towards their braided-river breeding grounds.

And they need every vote they can get.
Bird of the Year 2026 is ON.

Put Wrybill / Ngutu pare on your ballot.
https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/?bird=wrybill

WRYFORCE is back.

Stay bent.

01/09/2026

✨The Shorebird Calendar is back for 2027! ✨

Grab one for yourself or for a Christmas pressie 🎁🎄

We heard you loud and clear Supporters, you missed shorebirds brightening the wall this year, so it's back for 2027. The calendar includes the high tide times for Tīkapa Moana / Firth of Thames, Aotearoa holidays and the main events on at the Shorebird Centre.

https://shop.shorebirds.org.nz/shop/2027-shorebird-calendar/

🙏Our sincere thanks to the photographers who have shared their beautiful work, for their support and generosity. Photographers: Stuart Attwood, Bartek Wypych, Mike Vincent, Mia Langlotz, Nick Beckwith, Tony Whitehead, Adrian Riegen

27/08/2026

🔭📰WE HAVE ARRIVALS!! ✨

It’s official, arrivals season is now underway for the Arctic migrants.

Last week we saw some suspicious behaviour amongst the Kuaka Bar-tailed godwits (agitation and a flagged bird that hadn’t been here this season) and experts noticed some minor wing droop and worn breeding plumage. And now this week we are seeing more pronounced wing droop, a sure sign. So perhaps 2 groups of arrivals and the first group had a much easier flight?

There’s also a few extra Huahou Red knots and a Sharp-tailed sandpiper spotted just this morning.

This is early, we normally see our first arrivals around September. And last year was early too. We will wait to watch out for the juveniles in October to see how the breeding season went.

Not to be overshadowed, our NZ migrants have been heading south to begin preparation for breeding. The Tōrea South Island pied oystercatchers started leaving in June and we have about half the Ngutu pare Wrybill flock left. Fingers crossed for their season and those caring for them down country.

Kia haumaru te haere! Wish all these manu well on their flights!

We have the first Tūturiwhatu Northern NZ Dotterel nest of the season on our shell bank too. A good reminder that although it may not yet feel like summer, we need to share our beaches and coastlines with our feather friends. Good luck to all the kaitiaki in our communities!

25/07/2026

Competition ends tonight at 10pm. Get in quick!

Win a pair of Nikon binoculars + 2x FREE Shorebird Coast Run entries (Total value up to $537!)

HOW TO ENTER:
1- Like our page and this post.
2- Comment below and tag your friends! (Each tag counts as an extra entry!)

Entries close July 26 10:00PM 2026

See comments for details, terms and conditions.

18/07/2026

Our shorebirds and wildlife may need all of our watchful eyes in the months ahead.

This morning, our Centre Manager Keith Woodley spoke with RNZ about the arrival of H5N1 in Aotearoa and what it may mean for shorebirds and other native species.

This is the beginning of a journey for all of us who care about our birds and our wildlife.

We have been increasing our monitoring at Pūkorokoro, and our members, visitors and Facebook followers can help by keeping a calm, watchful eye on bird populations wherever they are.

Please look out for birds that appear unusually sick or weak, unusual behaviour, or groups of 3 or more birds that have died.

Do not approach, touch, move or disturb them. Observing from a safe distance gives birds the best chance of recovery and helps reduce the risk of further spread.

SYMPTOMS

Specific signs of HPAI can include:
• Weakness or lethargy
• Difficulty standing or walking
• Tremors, seizures or other neurological signs
• Twisted neck (torticollis)
• Head pressing or circling
• Difficulty breathing or gasping
• Swollen eyes or head
• Sudden death, sometimes without obvious signs

REPORTING

• If you are visiting the Robert Findlay Wildlife Reserve: call the Shorebird Centre on 09 232 2781 and tell us where you saw it.

• Elsewhere: call MPI’s 24-hour hotline on 0800 80 99 66.

📍A precise location and photographs taken from a safe distance are very helpful.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us, and for helping us watch over the birds with care.

🎧 Listen to Keith’s interview with RNZ:
Bird flu and our native birds

The bird flu's now in New Zealand - what could it mean for our native bird populations? The Pukorokoro Shorebird Centre's Keith Woodley explains the risks.

07/04/2026