Current view: Text account
Site description (2014 baseline):
IBA Trigger species: Yellow-eyed penguin, Stewart Island Shag, Spotted shag (non-breeding)*
* Breeding population does not meet threshold.
Besides the trigger species the following species are confirmed or likely to be breeding: Little Penguin, Sooty Shearwater, Black Shag, Little Shag, White-faced Heron, Canada Goose, Mallard, Paradise Shelduck, Aus-tralasian Harrier, Variable Oystercatcher, Spur-winged Plover, Southern Black-backed Gull, Red-billed Gull, White-fronted Tern, Rock Pigeon, NZ Kingfisher, Welcome Swallow, NZ Pipit. Skylark, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Yellowhammer, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Redpoll, House Sparrow, Starling, Australian Magpie. Other species recorded: South Island Pied Oys-tercatcher, Pied Stilt, Banded Dotterel.
The Little Penguin colonies at Oamaru are nationally important sites (>1,000 individuals). However, with the species lumped with the Australian Little Penguin where large populations occur , no New Zealand populations reach 1% of the global population.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Human disturbance –Yes -
Predation by alien species – Yes - Dogs, cats, stoats, rodents, possums, possibly weasels.
Habitat loss or degradation – No
Contamination – No
Natural disaster – No
Parasite or pathogen - No
Other – No
Bushy Beach - Scenic Reserve - Protected area contained within site
Waianakarua to Kakaho Creek - Coastal Marginal Strip - Protected area contained within site
Matakaea (Shag Point) - Recreation Reserve - Area overlaps with site
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: North Otago (New Zealand). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/north-otago-iba-new-zealand on 22/11/2024.
