Taupō celebrates Conservation Week 2022: Spot the royal spoonbills at Waihī

Royal spoonbills in the Waihi wetland during a downpour. Photo / Ian Ashmore

Next week, plan to do something for conservation.

The Department of Conservation has a nice lineup for Conservation Week, starting with a suggestion you get your camera ready to spot the royal spoonbills, kōtuku ngutupapa, at Waihī wetlands.

Operations manager Dave Lumley says the royal spoonbills are a self-introduced species native to New Zealand. They are also quite uncommon.

"They are difficult to mistake, with their bill shaped like a ladle."

Dave says the large, white wading birds with a cutlery-inspired bill can frequently be seen from State Highway 41 near Waihī Rd.

"We're quite often seeing them in the mornings. Later in the day, they seem to move further into the wetland."

Spoonbills sweep their beaks from side to side, seeking prey such as fish, insects, and frogs. The famous bill isn't a simple ladle though, it has built-in vibration detectors to find prey in darkness or muddy waters.

"They're obviously stirring up some food in there, as they've stuck around for so long.

"It's a good reminder to slow down on this stretch of road, as we have had a number of wetland birds hit by cars, including the endangered matuku hūrepo/Australasian bittern."

Other activities set for Conservation Week include a group weeding session at Spa Park, visits to Opepe Forest at dawn and dusk, enjoy some kai and listen to four speakers at an evening event at the Great Lake Centre, join Greening Taupō in a native tree planting event at Hipapatua (Reid's Farm) and stay for a BBQ lunch. For children, there is a toddler time session about pests at the Taupō Library, and a family nature day in Tūrangi town centre where you get to build a trap box and try some nature art, followed by free pancakes.

For more information follow this weblink https://www.doc.govt.nz/news/events/conservation-week/events/?locationId=144&dateFilter=25&startDate=2022-09-05T21:43:00.000Z&endDate=2022-09-10T21:43:00.000Z