Friday, 17 April 2015

Rare White Heron in Thames New Zealand

The Kotuku or White Heron

 
 
We saw this rare and beautiful bird last Tuesday as we were passing through Thames on the Coromandel Coast in the North Island.  It is a large bird and it floated in to land on an old fishing vessel on the intertidal mud flats. .

 
 
The mud flats provide a habitat for mangroves which are prolific around the Hauraki Gulf.
There were not many other birds around, some pied shags and a few ducks so it was a great surprise
to see a kotuku.  They only breed on the West coast of the South Island so it had travelled some
distance.
 
 
 
 
 
All images copy right Frances Jill Studd 2015
 
 
 
 


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