Current view: Text account
Site description (2014 baseline):
IBA Trigger species: Black-billed Gull, Black-fronted Tern, Wrybill
Besides the trigger species the following species are confirmed or likely to be breeding: Black Shag, Little Shag, White-faced Heron, Canada Goose, Paradise Shelduck, Mallard, Grey Duck, Australasian Harrier, Pukeko, South Island Pied Oystercatcher, Pied Stilt, Banded Dotterel, Spur-winged Plover, Southern Black-backed Gull, White-fronted Tern, Rock Pigeon, NZ Kingfisher, Shining Cuckoo, Welcome Swallow, NZ Pipit, Grey Warbler, South Island Fantail, Silvereye, Bellbird, Skylark, Hedge Sparrow, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Yellowhammer, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Red-poll, House Sparrow, Starling, Australian Magpie.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Human disturbance - Yes - Anthropogenic disturbance due to multiple river and riverbed users can impact on nesting and feeding birds.
Predation by alien species - Yes - Feral cats, mustelids, rats and hedgehogs are present within the site. Dogs can also be a problem. Predator management in some areas within the IBA through the Ashley Rakahuri River Care Group.
Habitat loss or degradation - Yes - Significant reduction in river flows through abstraction for irrigation may be reducing foraging habitat availability and increasing accessibility of breeding colonies to introduced predators, leading to reduced productivity and survival. In addi-tion, reduction in flows is thought to facilitate increased weed invasion of nesting habitats, making these habitats unavailable.
Contamination - Yes - Pollution from nutrients and effluent are washed or are leached into the river system.
Natural disaster - Yes - Natural flood events can seriously impact on nest sites.
Parasite or pathogen - No
Other - No
Ashley Riverbed Rakahuri - Conservation Area - 1102ha - Protected area contained within site
Okuku Riverbed Serenada - Conservation Area - 30ha - Protected area contained within site
Ashley Gorge - Marginal Strip - 21ha - Protected area overlaps with site
Whistler Riverbed - Conservation Area - 121ha - Protected area contained within site
Whistler River - Marginal Strip - 24ha - Protected area contained within site
Ashley Townshend River - Marginal Strip - 14ha - Protected area overlaps with site
The IBA is bordered by the Oxford Forest Conservation Area in the Ashley Gorge area.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ashley River Rakahuri (New Zealand). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ashley-river-rakahuri-iba-new-zealand on 23/12/2024.
