Data Zone
Country/territory: New Zealand
IBA Criteria met: A1, A4ii (2014)
For more information about IBA criteria please click here
Area: 11,388 ha
Site summary
Farewell Spit is a classic recurved spit, approximately 30 km long, composed predominantly of uniform quartz sand derived from rivers draining westwards and transported northward by the Westland Current. The north is exposed to the Tasman Sea, but the south has extensive tidal mudflats. These provide feeding areas for large numbers of waterfowl. The Australasian Gannet colony at the end of the spit continues to grow, although birds are forced to move sites as dunes are eroded by sea action.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Farewell Spit. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 29/01/2023.
