White Heron Sanctuary Tours Whataroa New Zealand

08/04/2026

It was exciting to have this image selected as a finalist in the Wild Aotearoa category of the Tūhura Otago Museum Photography Competition - especially as it was our first time entering a photo competition.
The Tūhura photography exhibition is open now, so if you’re in Dunedin, be sure to check out this pic alongside all the incredible finalist captures chosen from a record 9,732 entries.
If you’d like to witness the Kōtuku displaying their beautiful feathers just like this, plan your visit to New Zealand’s only White Heron nesting site in September or October 🥰

08/03/2026

This week in the Ngahere, the climbing white and red Rātā add splashes of colour, while the flowering orchid Earina autumnalis fills the air with its sweet scent.
Many native trees are heavy with berries, drawing in Kererū, Tūī and especially Bellbirds, their songs ringing out as they feast.
Tomtits and Fantails follow us closely, darting in to catch insects and moths disturbed along the track. Dragonflies and Damselflies hover, and Cicadas continue to sing, though the chorus of summer is now winding down 🌿

26/02/2026

The nesting season is a demanding and lengthy period for the adult White Herons, with one month of egg incubation followed by three months of tirelessly feeding and raising their young.
With nesting now behind them, they look quite different from the resplendent birds of early spring.
Their delicate breeding plumes are being shed and preened away, and their beaks are transitioning back to yellow - this is the White Herons’ familiar non-breeding appearance seen nationwide beyond their time at the colony 🥰

22/02/2026

The White Herons have now finished nesting for this season.
We continue to visit the enchanting Waitangiroto Nature Reserve with our Rainforest Nature Tour and are still enjoying regular sightings of the youngest Kōtuku chicks as they explore the area.
Join us for an exclusive, guided nature experience offering fantastic opportunities for birdwatching and a closer look at the ancient Kahikatea rainforest, with its diverse and abundant flora and fungi.
Visitors also see firsthand and learn about the essential predator control and conservation work that protects this unique ecosystem.

17/02/2026

These young Kōtuku have no idea how beautiful they are, with their soft, downy feathers and endearing wisps of head hair 🥰
We’ve had the privilege of observing them and their developing personalities throughout the season, so it’s really special to meet them up close as their confidence grows and they fly over to the viewing hide to see what we humans are about.
Some are decidedly bossy, chasing all other birds away - some arrive with a lot of wing-flapping and noisy croaks - while others are irresistibly curious and delightfully nosey! 🤍

15/02/2026

How thrilling it must feel for these young Kōtuku to be flying! 🪽
Almost all are now able to explore the Waitangiroto River, up and downstream from the nesting site.
A couple of daredevil fledglings are absolutely showing off with fast-paced darting, diving, and sudden direction changes which is breathtaking to observe ✨

14/02/2026

Celebrating all the love birds out there today 🤍💕

14/02/2026

It’s so exciting to be part of the large scale, innovative Predator Free South Westland project! 🌿🐦
Native forests are regenerating, birds are thriving, and stoats, rats, and possums are on the way out...
In the Waitangiroto Nature Reserve, the changes are obvious and impressive - it’s incredible and rewarding to witness! 💚

As an ambitious mainland predator eradication project reaches completion, what will it take to keep pests at bay long-term?

13/02/2026

Always a highlight on our local calendar - the countdown is on for the South Westland A & P Show!
As a sponsor of the Wearable Arts section we’re looking forward to seeing this year’s wonderful medieval wearable creations - ⚔️🏰 knights, queens and dragons... 🐉
28th February - see you there!

South Westland A&P Show

Two of our last years wearable arts entries. This year's theme is medieval.

$100 prize money for the children's section and $200 for the adult's section.

Thank you to our generous sponsor White Heron Sanctuary Tours Whataroa New Zealand

Enter on the day before 10am!

📷 Riley Minera

11/02/2026

Reflection perfection! 😍
Big Kōtuku chicks check out their good looks in nature’s mirror🪞
- the still Waitangiroto River below New Zealand's only White Heron nesting site.

08/02/2026

The juvenile Kōtuku are exploring and spreading out on either side of the nesting site, along the banks of the Waitangiroto River as they learn to forage for themselves.
A few are still receiving the occasional feed from their parents, so they’re not straying too far from their nests just yet... 🥰