The Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust

06/10/2026

Our Firesmart team was busy at Onetahuti last week. Lots of w**d species removed and birds spotted. Lovely feedback from the team:

"We saw six Kaka at Anchorage, one at Torrent Bay, and six at Onetahuti.
It was great to see all the children tramping the track, there were a lot of oyster catchers along the beach in pairs, at least 10 that we saw"

Thanks so much your efforts out there!

Photos: L Heaton

29/09/2026

105,000 votes were cast and the 2026 Bird of the Year winner is karure, the Chatham Islands black robin. Tree Birds take top flock!

This first-time winner took the crown with over 25,500 votes!

Forest & Bird’s Bird of the Year recognises our unique birds and with each vote you give them a voice.

22/09/2026

We've recently taken over the Firesmart programme from Project Janszoon. This project is important as it removes highly flammable gorse to reduce fire risk, supports native vegetation to build natural resilience to the effects of sea level rising, and makes the dunes more aesthetically pleasing.

Lesa took a capable team into Porters Beach this month and they intensively w**ded the Spit. Weeds they pulled included Gorse, Foxglove, Tall fescue, Ragwort, Great Mullein ,Sheep Sorrel ,Greater Bird's Foot, and Evening Primrose.

They were joined on the beach by two Oyster Catchers / tōrea and three Banded Dotterel / tūturiwhatu. They even spotted one nest!

Photos: L Heaton

14/09/2026

Bird of the Year 2026 is officially open!

Get over to https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/ and cast your votes.

Will you go for the.....

Shore birds or the Floor birds
Tree birds or the Sea birds
High birds or the Shy birds

Guaranteed to be this year’s wildest election and the only one where every candidate has a left wing AND a right wing.

Voting open until 5pm Sunday, 20 September.

Forest & Bird’s Bird of the Year recognises our unique birds and with each vote you give them a voice.

05/09/2026

It’s Father’s Day in Aotearoa today!

01/09/2026

These little manu bring our volunteers so much joy when they're out trapping!




Photo: M Lasenby

25/08/2026

How many kererū can you spot in this photo taken at Sandfly Bay?

Pete said they startled a group of 6 of them earlier in the day when they arrived on the water taxi! They're a great indicator of forest health.

Photo: P Lucas

18/08/2026

Every A24 smart trap we install comes with a 10c coin sealing the opening of the automatic lure pump.... we've just banked $33 so its worth saving them!

14/08/2026

We have a vacancy!

Predator Control Coordinator
Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust
Motueka / Tasman Bay
Two year fixed term contract, 20 hours per week
Applications close: 9th September 2026 or when a suitable applicant is found
For more information contact the Operations Manager - [email protected]
Learn more about the Trust here - https://youtu.be/fnNcb3RChxE

Come and work alongside our passionate volunteers in the beautiful Abel Tasman! Our Predator Control Coordinator will optimise the predator control efforts of the Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust. This includes the management of data, volunteers and contractors as well as maintaining relationships with all stakeholders to ensure the efficient planning and delivery of our programmes. Contact us for the full job description!

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

12/08/2026

That's a wrap on our planting project for 2026! What a great bunch of volunteers we've had helping out with both maintenance and tree planting this season. Such a vibe!

We also had a lovely Japanese student join us to learn about volunteering in Aotearoa and why so many of us choose to dedicate our time to conservation projects. We hope Kanjiro learnt some helpful things to take home.