Current view: Text account
Site description (2014 baseline):
IBA Trigger species: Black-billed Gull, Black-fronted Tern
Other species: Besides the trigger species the following are confirmed or likely to be breeding: Australasian Crested Grebe, Black Shag, Pied Shag, Little Shag, White-faced Heron, Black Swan, Canada Goose, Paradise Shelduck, Grey Duck, Mallard, Australasian Harrier, South Island Pied Oystercatcher, Pied Stilt, Banded Dotterel, Spur-winged Plover, Southern Black-backed Gull, Red-billed Gull, White-fronted Tern, NZ Pigeon, Shining Cuckoo, Morepork, NZ Kingfisher, Welcome Swallow, NZ Pipit, Grey Warbler, South Island Fantail, Silvereye, Bellbird. Californian Quail, Skylark, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Yellowhammer, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Redpoll, 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 breeding and feeding seabirds and shorebirds
Predation by alien species - Yes - Feral cats, rats, and hedgehogs are present within the site. Dogs can also be a problem. Trapping and riverbed group ac-tivities and presence can mitigate predation and human disturbance impacts
Habitat loss or degradation - Yes - Weeds encroaching on nesting habitat
Contamination - No
Natural disaster - Yes - Flooding can impact on nest sites
Parasite or pathogen - No
Other - No
Kahutara River - Conservation Area - 47ha - Protected area contained within site
Lake Rotorua - Wildlife Reserve - 71ha - Protected area contained within site
Kahutara River - Marginal Strip - 44ha - Protected area overlaps with site.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kahutara River (New Zealand). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kahutara-river-iba-new-zealand on 22/11/2024.
