6 Jan,
2019 8:00am
By: Staff
Reporter
A
distinctive, globally-endangered bird was spotted in the Whanganui River
estuary over New Year.
Birds New
Zealand Whanganui regional representative Peter Frost said local photographer
and author Paul Gibson saw the eastern curlew on the estuary on New Year's Day.
"The
bird was present the following day but appears now to have moved on elsewhere,
which is a pity as it deserved to be seen by more people," Frost said.
"Standing
a bit taller than an average ruler, this species is the largest shorebird in
the world. The astounding thing about it, however, is its enormous curved bill,
which at 17 centimetres is around half that of the bird's height.
"This
allows it to probe deeply into the mud to catch worms, or to reach out and
quickly pick up fleeing crabs, as the bird on the Whanganui estuary was doing.
"As
far as we know, this is the first time an eastern curlew has been recorded on
the Whanganui estuary, perhaps a reflection of the paucity of observers rather
than it never having visited previously. Nonetheless, it was a notable visit by
a striking and increasingly rare species that, once seen, isn't easily forgotten."
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