• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation 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 List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Australasian Bittern Botaurus poiciloptilus	VU	resident (-)	min 6	A1
Black Stilt Himantopus novaezelandiae	CR	breeding (2009–2013)	max 2 birds	A1
Wrybill Anarhynchus frontalis	VU	non-breeding (2009–2013)	349–701 birds	A1, A4i
Black-billed Gull Larus bulleri	NT	breeding (-)	311–530 pairs	A1, A4i
Black-fronted Tern Chlidonias albostriatus	EN	non-breeding (2006–2015)	28–54 birds	A1

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 popul­ation/area (10–49%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Human intrusions and disturbance	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Biological resource use	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Natural system modifications	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Pollution	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Climate change and severe weather	likely in short term (<4 years)	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Not assessed	Not assessed	Not assessed	not assessed

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1867	Waihora	Scientific Reserve (Ia)	<1
1882	Lakeside	Stewardship Area (III)	<1
1891	Landing Yard Point	Stewardship Area (III)	<1
1969	Harts Creek	Government Purpose Reserve (-)	1
1979	Kaitorete Spit	Scientific Reserve (Ia)	1
1980	Yarrs Flat Wildlife	Government Purpose Reserve (-)	1
1983	Lakeside	Government Purpose Reserve (-)	<1
1985	Selwyn	Government Purpose Reserve (-)	1
1987	Greenpark Sands	Stewardship Area (III)	4
1987	Wairewa	Stewardship Area (III)	2
1987	Kaitorete Spit	Stewardship Area (III)	1
1987	Pacific Ocean Foreshore Kaitorete Spit	Stewardship Area (III)	<1
1987	Motukarara Rail Trail	Stewardship Area (III)	<1
1987	Pacific Ocean Foreshore Coopers Lagoon	Stewardship Area (III)	<1
1987	Motukarara Rail Trail Aorangi	Stewardship Area (III)	<1
1987	Greenpark Sands Lower Selwyn Hut	Stewardship Area (III)	<1
1987	Lower Selwyn Huts	Stewardship Area (III)	<1
1987	Omahanui	Stewardship Area (III)	<1
1987	Coopers Lagoon	Stewardship Area (III)	<1
1988	Te Waihora Harts Creek	Stewardship Area (III)	<1
1988	L II River Silverstream	Stewardship Area (III)	<1
1988	Te Waihora Proposed Picnic Area	Stewardship Area (III)	<1
2001	Williams Wildlife Management	Government Purpose Reserve (-)	<1
2004	Lakelands Wildlife Reserve	Stewardship Area (III)	1
2005	Motukarara Rail Trail	Stewardship Area (III)	<1
2015	Ātaahua	Scenic Reserve (III)	<1

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Introduced vegetation	major (>10)
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	major (>10)
Marine Intertidal	major (>10)
Shrubland	major (>10)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Te Waihora (New Zealand). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/te-waihora-iba-new-zealand on 23/12/2024.