A Plover Success Story

Spur-winged plovers may not be everyone’s favourite bird; their distinctive calls and habit of dive-bombing anyone who gets too close to their nest can make them unpopular, but these little birds are native to Aotearoa, arriving here under their own steam from Australia. They thrive in the ecological niche created through the clearing of  land. Open areas of short grass and mown reserves can provide suitable habitat for the ground-nesting plovers although they are vulnerable to having nests trampled or raided. 

Recently, a pair of plovers chose a nesting spot in a small reserve bordered by roads in the Waimanu Bay subdivision. They chose to place their nest right in a small rut in the grass left behind by boy racers doing skids!  It certainly wasn’t an ideal location, but the birds went ahead anyway.

With the chick just newly hatched the residents were nervous to see the lawnmover contractor arrive the other day but thankfully, the contractor was already aware of the nesting birds and was able to give them some extra space. Remarkably, the plovers seemed to be familiar with the mower, continuing to forage nearby with their chick and making no attempt to dive-bomb.