• Summary
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The site was identified as important in 2014 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
Australasian Bittern Botaurus poiciloptilus	VU	resident	-	present	A1
Black Stilt Himantopus novaezelandiae	CR	resident	1960-2001	31-34 individuals	A1, A4i
Wrybill Anarhynchus frontalis	VU	breeding	1960-2001	57-84 individuals	A1, A4i
Black-billed Gull Larus bulleri	NT	breeding	1960-2001	142-221 breeding pairs	A1
Black-fronted Tern Chlidonias albostriatus	EN	breeding	1960-2001	201-296 breeding pairs	A1, A4i

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2014) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2014. The most recent assessment (2014) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Climate change and severe weather	likely in short term (within 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	medium
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Natural system modifications	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Not assessed	Not assessed	Not assessed	not assessed

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1987	Lower Ahuriri Riverbed	Stewardship Area	2
1987	Killermont	Stewardship Area	<1
1987	Head of Lake Benmore	Stewardship Area	<1
1990	Ben Omar Wetland	Government Purpose Reserve	2
1997	Ben Avon	Scenic Reserve	1
2004	Ben Avon	Conservation Covenant	1
2005	Ahuriri	Conservation Park	20

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Grassland		major (>10)
Introduced vegetation		major (>10)
Shrubland		major (>10)
Wetlands (inland)		major (>10)
Forest		minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ahuriri River (New Zealand). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ahuriri-river-iba-new-zealand on 22/11/2024.