New ducks, shags arrive in Rotorua

The kawau are settled by the Puarenga Stream. Photo / Ben Fraser

New Zealand's native and only true diving duck, the papango (scaup), a large colony of kawau (shags) and other birdlife have chosen to call Rotorua's geothermal landscape home, delighting bird watchers and visitors from across the country and overseas.

Te Puia's Te Whakarewarewa Valley has become something of a haven for birds and has long been home for two resident kiwi, Kenny and Nohi.

Te Puia general manager sales and marketing, Kiri Atkinson-Crean, said over the hotter summer months Te Puia took on a whole new dimension with an increase in birdlife and foliage.

She said the "other-worldly" geothermal landscape of Te Whakarewarewa Valley had often been likened to terrain on far-flung planets, something that the birds seemed drawn to.

"The birds obviously feel safe and secure and quite at home in our environment and, as kaitiaki [guardians], it is our duty to keep it that way."

The kawau colony is located along the edge of Puarenga Stream, which runs through the visitor attraction and under the viewing bridge beside Pohutu Geyser. The kawau are particularly active in the mornings when they can be seen coming and going from Lake Rotorua. The increase in foliage along the stream banks in the summer months provides the birds with the protection they need to nest and breed.

Visitors can access a number of nature trails where they might be lucky enough to witness a papango diving for food. The dark-feathered ducks spend a lot of time underwater, where they can travel considerable distances.

"Puarenga Stream remains a taonga [treasure] to local iwi. In the past, it was a valuable food source until water contamination saw a decline in fish numbers. As a result, papango were absent from the valley for a number of years.

"After carrying out our own investigation into the state of Puarenga, we are now working with consultants to further improve conditions. Seeing the return of papango and trout is a positive sign that some healing is already happening," Ms Atkinson-Crean said.