Adult dotterels are small, but their chicks are tiny and camouflaged against the stones. Photo / Supplied
Two Hawke's Bay councils are banding together with the Department of Conservation to provide beach signage to help protect an endangered population of birds.
But a local movement set up to protect the birds saysthe councils need to use more of their powers and fence off beaches at nesting time.
The Department of Conservation (DoC), Hawke's Bay Regional Council and Napier City Council are joining forces to help protect tūturiwhatu, commonly known as banded dotterel.
Hawke's Bay Regional Council terrestrial ecologist Annabel Beattie said the region's population of tūturiwhatu is "significant" as recent studies had shown the region supports 16 per cent of the global banded dotterel population.
"Wandering dogs in coastal areas are a genuine threat to banded dotterel. They often find and kill nesting birds or chicks," Beattie said.
To combat that, Regional Council, the DOC and Napier City Council will now introduce visible signage around nesting site and educate visitors during the dotterels' annual breeding season.
Hawke's Bay local Paddy Cooper said he wants to see the DoC and the councils turn beaches into dog-on-lead-only areas and fence off the beach during the nesting season, September to December.
"I think it's obscene that people, dogs and quad bikes are allowed to go right through, over and on the nests of a native species that is threatened with extinction," Cooper said.
Beattie said community groups had been standing up for the birds over the past couple of months and raising awareness within the community.
"It is awesome to have passionate members of the community doing such great mahi to protect these beautiful birds, especially as their nests are so easily disturbed but extremely hard to spot," she said.
Tūturiwhatu are a threatened species and use the wide shingle beaches between Bay View and Haumoana.
A natural ability to camouflage is their primary defence from predators, but while this ensures they remain well-hidden it also means there are a high number of accidental disturbances each year.
DoC senior community ranger Chris Wootton said many visitors simply aren't aware that the tiny birds are nesting on the beaches.
"Like many native species, these birds evolved to defend themselves against aerial predators through camouflage.
"They're almost defenceless against introduced mammalian predators and human activity like vehicles in beach areas and uncontrolled dogs," Wootton said.
It is currently "recommended" that dogs are kept on a lead while near possible nesting areas, Wootton said.