Okura Marine Reserve

Help the Dotterels at Okura

• More information about the Dotterels

• Step Lightly Brochure

From mid-winter onwards, pairs begin to move back to their nesting territories, which they defend vigorously against other pairs. Nesting usually begins in September. Two or three well-camouflaged eggs are laid in a scrape in the sand, commonly among shells and driftwood just above the high tide mark. Because they are so hard to see, nests are sometimes crushed by people, vehicles, horses or stock.

NZ dotterels commonly try to distract intruders near their nest by pretending to be injured – they will even fake a broken wing - all the time leading the intruder further from the nest. If the eggs are lost to predators, or to natural factors such as storms or big tides, the birds will re-nest up to four times in one season.

Eggs are incubated for about a month.. The parents guard them, but they must find all their own food. When danger threatens, the chicks run to the nearest cover and freeze, crouching low keeping still until the parents sound the all-clear.

Chicks can usually fly by the age of six - seven weeks, but this time may be extended if their feeding is reduced by continual disturbance

Help the Dotterels

People, their pets and vehicles pose a major threat to NZ dotterels. Stay out of roped-off areas and keep dogs and vehicles off all beaches and sandspits when dotterels are present. If you see a NZ dotterel feigning injury, it has a nest or chicks nearby. Please move away from the area quickly - birds will not return to incubate until you have gone and eggs can overheat or become chilled quickly.