Current view: Text account
Site description (2014 baseline):
IBA Trigger species: Black-billed Gull, Black-fronted Tern, Black Stilt, Wrybill, Australasian Bittern, South Island Pied Oystercatcher.
Besides the trigger species the following species are confirmed or likely to be breeding: Aus-tralasian Crested Grebe, Black Shag, Little Black Shag, Little Shag, White-faced Heron, Mute Swan, Black Swan, Canada Goose, Paradise Shelduck, NZ Shoveler, Mallard, Grey Duck, Grey Teal, Black Scaup, Australasian Harrier, Californian Quail, Pheasant, Little Owl, Pukeko, Marsh Crake, Variable Oystercatcher, Pied Stilt, Banded Dotterel, Black-fronted Dotterel, Spur-winged Plover, Southern Black-backed Gull, Red-billed Gull, Caspian Tern, White-fronted Tern, NZ Pigeon, NZ Kingfish-er, Shining Cuckoo, Welcome Swallow, NZ Pipit, Grey Warbler, South Island Fantail, Silvereye, Skylark, Hedge Sparrow, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Yellowhammer, Cirl Bunting, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Redpoll, House Sparrow Starling, Australian Magpie.
Other species recorded: Australian Little Grebe, Spotted Shag, White Heron, Reef Heron, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Royal Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, Australian Coot, Pacific Golden Plover, Large Sand Plover, Mongolian Dotterel, Grey Plover, Turn-stone, Red (Lesser) Knot, Curlew Sandpiper, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, Asiatic Dow-itcher, Eastern Bar-tailed Godwit, Asiatic Black-tailed Godwit, Hudsonian Godwit, Wandering Tattler, Siberian Tattler, Sand-erling, Far-eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, Greenshank, Terek Sandpiper, White-winged Black Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Little Tern, Bellbird.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Pacific Ocean Foreshore - Conservation Area - 221ha - Protected area overlaps with site
Ashley River Mouth - Conservation Area - 11ha - Protected area contained within site
Ashley River - Conservation Area - 9ha - Protected area contained within site
Human disturbance - Yes - Anthropogenic disturbance due to multiple river, estuary and beach users can impact on breeding and feeding birds.
Predation by alien species - Yes - Feral cats, mustelids, rats and hedgehogs are present within the site. Trapping and river-group activities and presence can mitigate impacts of human disturbance and predation by alien species.
Habitat loss or degradation - Yes -
Contamination - Yes - Pollution from nutrients and effluent are washed or are leached into the river and estuary systems.
Natural disaster - Yes - Natural flood events can seriously impact on nest sites.
Parasite or pathogen - No
Other - No
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Pegasus Bay Coast (New Zealand). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/pegasus-bay-coast-iba-new-zealand on 22/11/2024.
