White Heron Sanctuary Tours Whataroa New Zealand

05/09/2026

Our FAV boy! 🥰 (Bird!🪽)

The majestic Kōtuku, or White Heron 🤍

The Kōtuku is a rare bird in Aotearoa, with a population of just 150-200 and only one breeding ground.

It is considered Nationally Critical under the NZ Threat Classification System (NZTCS).

Visit NZ's Only Kōtuku nesting colony in the Waitangiroto Nature Reserve near Whataroa on the West Coast of the South Island, NZ.

Learn more ➡️ www.whiteherontours.co.nz

02/09/2026

For hundreds of years, each spring, generations of breeding Kōtuku have returned ‘home’ to their ancestral and only New Zealand nesting site in the Waitangiroto Nature Reserve to breed.

Kōtuku have just one clutch each breeding season, laying an average of three eggs. Usually, only one or two chicks per nest survive to fledge.

It takes around 28 days of shared incubation before their precious blue eggs hatch, followed by almost three months of caring for their young before they begin fending for themselves🪺

Compared with many other birds, Kōtuku devote a great deal of time, care and energy to raising just one or two chicks - it’s easy to see why Kōtuku are such a rare taonga 🌿🤍

✅ Vote Kōtuku for Bird of the Year 2026!
Voting opens Friday 4th September
👉www.birdoftheyear.org.nz

31/08/2026

This year, Bird of the Year is shaking things up!
The manu aren’t just flying solo - they’re teaming up to form bird parties! 🪽🐦

Kōtuku is wading in with Shore Birds! 🌊🪽
✅ Vote Kōtuku and the other birds in the 'Shore Party' for Bird of the Year 2026!

Voting opens Friday 4th September
👉www.birdoftheyear.org.nz

This year, Bird of the Year has a fun twist!
The manu aren’t just competing as individual candidates, they’re also joining forces in bird parties!

Kōtuku is wading in with the ‘Shore Party’ for the win! 🌊🪽

✅ Vote Kōtuku for Bird of the Year 2026!

Voting opens Friday 4th September
and closes Sunday 20th September
👉www.birdoftheyear.org.nz

📷 White Heron Sanctuary Tours Whataroa New Zealand


Forest & Bird

30/08/2026

Meet the fairer s*x of the ‘Taipo’, also known as the Wellington Tree Wētā (Hemideina crassidens) 🦗
Females can be recognised by their petite heads and impressively elongated ovipositors, which they use to lay eggs about 10mm beneath the soil’s surface.

This little lady was on a mission… one second she was there, and the next… everyone was frantically checking their legs! 👀😂

26/08/2026

Swift and sneaky Bellbirds getting stuck into the flowering Kōwhai, right under the beaks of several big and bossy Tūī 😆

📍 Waitangiroto Nature Reserve, South Westland, New Zealand

23/08/2026

Each spring, the majestic Kōtuku return home to the 📍 Waitangiroto Nature Reserve to nest.

Visitors have the unique opportunity to observe the Kōtuku showing off their spectacular breeding plumes, courting, building nests, incubating eggs, feeding and raising their chicks — all at the only place in Aotearoa where Kōtuku breed.

Join us this season for a 'one-of-a-kind' New Zealand wildlife experience.

📅 Daily tours from Whataroa
🌿 Small, personalised groups
👉 Book now: www.whiteherontours.co.nz

19/08/2026

From towering Kahikatea and tiny spider orchids to cheerful Kōwhai, busy birds, sweet Kiekie fruit and mirror-like river reflections, there’s always something fun to spot on our Waitangiroto Rainforest Nature Tour...
You never know what you’ll see around the next corner! 👀🌿

📍 Waitangiroto Nature Reserve, Whataroa, South Westland, New Zealand

16/08/2026

Bird of the Year is just around the corner, and we’re excited to once again be backing our favourite bird — Kōtuku, or White Heron! 🤍

Keep an eye on our page and help us celebrate the Kōtuku!
We’ll be sharing fascinating Kōtuku facts, beautiful photos, stories and a prize surprise along the way! 👀🎁

With a population of just 150–200 and only one breeding site in Aotearoa, the Kōtuku is one of New Zealand’s rarest and most treasured manu — and it needs you!
We’re inviting Kōtuku supporters everywhere to join the campaign!
Download a Kōtuku Bird of the Year poster and help spread the word by displaying it in your town, shop, workplace or community centre.
https://www.whiteherontours.co.nz/bird-of-the-year
Or If you’d like to get involved in another way, we’d love to hear from you!🥰
And when voting opens, please vote for Kōtuku!

Together we can take Kōtuku to new heights! 🤍🪽

✅ Vote Kōtuku, White Heron for Bird of the Year 2026!
Voting Opens: 9am, Friday 4 September
Voting Closes: 5pm, Sunday 20 September
WINNER ANNOUNCED: Monday 21 September 2026

12/08/2026

August is a great month to visit 🌿

Crisp, clear days showcase the snowy peaks of the Southern Alps rising above the Whataroa Valley.
In the forest, the abundant Kōwhai are beginning to flower, bringing bright splashes of colour, while Bellbirds and Tūī belt out their best tunes.

With the first signs of spring, the Waitangiroto Nature Reserve feels magical 💫

📍 Waitangiroto Nature Reserve, Whataroa, South Westland, New Zealand

09/08/2026

Winter is a valuable window of opportunity for successful trapping, as predators feel the bite of hunger and even the wiliest are more attracted to our baits and lures - making it another great time to step up our predator control work in and around the Waitangiroto 🌿

Alongside the occasional travelling stoats, rats and mice, we've also recently caught a couple of weasels and two wild cats, neither of which are common in this area.
With all the great mahi ZIP (Zero Invasive Predators) is doing in the wider region, our overall catch rate this winter has been very low - and... we haven't caught a possum for almost a year, which is amazing! 😊

📍Waitangiroto Nature Reserve - West Coast, South Island, New Zealand