Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Rare bird's backyard drop-in likened to teenage trouble-maker

Waikato Herald
24 Jan, 2022 01:53 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

An adult matuku or Australasian bittern is so good at being undercover, that it is often difficult to find and track. File photo / Imogen Warren

An adult matuku or Australasian bittern is so good at being undercover, that it is often difficult to find and track. File photo / Imogen Warren

A bold young bittern has caused a stir in Waikato, striking a pose in a Cambridge couple's urban backyard.

Australasian bittern/matuku are rare in New Zealand. The wetland species' population is estimated to be less than 1000 individuals, and they're classified as "Threatened-Nationally Critical" due to introduced predators and loss of habitat.

That means they have the same threat classification as kākāpō and are more threatened than most species of kiwi.

John and Jude Bowen arrived at their Cambridge home about 2.30pm on January 17 to find the unexpected avian visitor – a juvenile bittern – on their property.

Jude Bowen went into the garage of their St Kilda home to put the washing on. Glancing out the window she saw an unfamiliar object lurking in the backyard and raced inside to inform husband John.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
The young  Australasian bittern that John and Jude Bowen found in their back yard. Photo / Jude Bowen
The young Australasian bittern that John and Jude Bowen found in their back yard. Photo / Jude Bowen

"Jude came back into the house and told me she found something outside," says John. "I went into one of our bedrooms and opened the ranch slider to get a better look. And there it was."

Jude took a few photos of the elusive, yet uncharacteristically bold, bittern, which appeared to be striking a pose for the camera.

"We were excited because we didn't know what it was – I'd never seen anything like that before," says John. "We watched it for a few moments because it had its neck straight up. We could see its eyes moving around, watching us."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Once John had Googled the bird, he found out what it was.

"We realised it was a rare bird – an Australasian bittern!" says John. "I went on to the Department of Conservation website and it said to contact the local DOC office if you see one of these. I thought, 'I'd better call!' It created a lot of excitement in the Waikato District Office."

"We continued to watch it for a few moments. Jude put some drinking water out as it was a hot day, but the bittern didn't move," says John. "We thought we'd better leave it alone and see what happened. We dropped the blinds down and checked on it again in a few minutes. It had vanished. We walked around the garden in case it was injured – but it had gone."

There are two wetlands nearby the Bowens' St Kilda subdivision home.

Discover more

Rooks get wings clipped as landowners dob them in

30 Oct 07:30 PM

Morrinsville rallies community to give tiny bat and other wildlife a fighting chance

03 Nov 04:30 AM

Kākā females making a comeback in the King Country

06 Dec 06:13 PM

Hamilton commits to making city greener

11 Dec 09:51 PM

"We don't know how or why it came here, but it's certainly caused a big stir on the local Facebook page," says John. "People are really excited!"

DOC Science Advisor Emma Williams, a wetland bird specialist, says the bittern is a juvenile, which could explain why it was so curious.

"So, much like human teenagers, they're a little prone to getting into trouble and turning up in places they shouldn't be," she says.

"It's a great sign that breeding is happening in this area though - the locals should be very proud a bird as threatened as the kākāpō is interested in checking out what Cambridge has to offer."

Emma Williams says young bitterns that have previously come into urban areas have been severely underweight and suffering from starvation.

"It's a common problem with bitterns. They feed off small fish and eels, with the latter also being endangered. Also the chicks need areas of shallow, clear water with lots of prey to learn to forage.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Many of our waterways are severely degraded, with water being of poor quality and clarity, and channelled into deep inaccessible drains. This makes it difficult for bitterns, who rely on being able to see their prey to feed."

Support and save bitterns by:

• Making sure there are plenty of wet areas for bittern to feed in throughout the year. They like shallow water with plenty of reed or rush-like vegetation. Raupō and juncus plant species are good plants to encourage.

• Caring for and retaining natural streams, creeks and ponds on properties can help support bittern population.

• Helping create and restore wetlands within your local area. Bitterns have lost 90 per cent of their habitat and the remaining 10 per cent is degraded and under threat.

• Controlling predators in and around any sites that bitterns may visit.

• Advocating to protect wetlands and improve the quality of New Zealand's waterways.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato Herald

Man high on mushrooms crashes car into garage, with a preschooler on his lap

Waikato Herald

'A newfound faith': Rapist says the Lord will help him as he’s sent to jail

Sport

Netball: Magic narrowly lose to Pulse after scores still tied in final minutes


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

Man high on mushrooms crashes car into garage, with a preschooler on his lap
Waikato Herald

Man high on mushrooms crashes car into garage, with a preschooler on his lap

The garage collapsed on top of Freeman Ruhe's vehicle but the pair escaped injury.

14 Jul 08:00 AM
'A newfound faith': Rapist says the Lord will help him as he’s sent to jail
Waikato Herald

'A newfound faith': Rapist says the Lord will help him as he’s sent to jail

14 Jul 07:00 AM
Netball: Magic narrowly lose to Pulse after scores still tied in final minutes
Sport

Netball: Magic narrowly lose to Pulse after scores still tied in final minutes

14 Jul 04:28 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP