From:
Rue Statham
To:
Maxine Joubert
Cc:
Jane Andrews
Subject:
Re: Bittern ecologists reports on nesting / breeding season
Date:
Friday, 13 February 2026 11:36:30 am
Maxine
I don't think we've got much more from DoC that's not been said before.
The correspondence reaffirms, in my opinion, what I discussed yesterday.
To my knowledge our aerial surveys only revealed male Bittern (not much chance of nesting if birds
don't breed, needing both a male and female pairing), the Regulation in question doesn't only refer to
wetland birds.
(9)(c) the activity must not disturb the roosting or nesting of indigenous birds during their breeding
season;
S 7(2)(f)(i) Free and Frank Expression
we must be mindful of
all indigenous birds.
So for completeness, unlikely that the majority our native birds species would be nesting in the
wetland, most are not wetland birds and as far as I know we didn't pick up any others that we thought
would be there (e.g. Spotless crake).
Other indigenous birds found in and around wetlands are more likely to prefer more suitable habitat
for their nesting needs and forest birds are unlikely to be present in the Willow canopy.
There are records of Fernbird (most recently 2021) in the wetland and they have similar breeding
season as Bittern, likely to petering out Feb/March when the chicks fledge. They're recorded around
the edge of the wetland, but as they prefer thick dense vegetation to form their bowl-like nests, they
maybe present in some parts of the wetland. I'm unaware if our surveyts would have picked them up,
given their size, or indeed if we were looking for them. Have to check.
S 7(2)(f)(i) Free and Frank Expression
I'll look into the survey reporting, but it was focussed on our Regional Bittern programme, and I think
it's also important to have the threatened plant survey I mentioned yesterday too. (noting the mention
below of
nationally critically endangered flora).
Regards
Rue Statham
Senior Ecologist
Ecology Advice Team
Environmental Services Department
From: Maxine Joubert
Sent: 13 February 2026 9:42 AM
To: Rue Statham
Cc: Jane Andrews
Subject: FW: Bittern ecologists reports on nesting / breeding season
Hi Rue,
Are you happy to take a look at this and provide a response please?
I know we also contacted DOC, so wondering if the information we have is the same as wat the
complainant is also providing from DOC?
Yesterday we spoke of the following:
Wetland avifauna generally have a long breeding seasons
It’s assumed any birds are finished nesting & fledged
Council done surveying and did not find many indigenous species.
Only male Bittern were found.
Bittern are quite mobile & it is a large wetland
Data end of last year (survey) - males were booming - but snapshot at
the time of the survey.
Information from Hugo & team - regional monitoring programme?
Is there some publication / report / memo on this survey we can
quote for the complainant? They may request a copy.
Your help will be much appreciated.
Ngā mihi | Kind regards,
Maxine Joubert (she/her) | Principal Specialist Environmental Monitoring
Licensing and Compliance Department | Te wāhanga mō te Tuku Raihana me te Ū ki ngā Ture
Community Directorate | Te kāhui o te tari ā-hapori
Phone (09) 301 0101 | Mobile 027 206 2811
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From: levonnets
Sent: Friday, 13 February 2026 9:06 am
To: Maxine Joubert ; PCE ; Phil Wilson
Cc: Peter Brahne ; Brendan Hoare
Subject: Bittern ecologists reports on nesting / breeding season
Good morning Maxine
Peter Langlands report on bittern for the nesting time review .
DOCs head scientist Colin O'DONNELL findings
And the bittern doc Manuel..
My Bittern research and reference
Along with Peter Tounders release on bittern
You will find all of their information is the same .. which proves that the nesting and chick
and fledging season is NOT over in December to allow spraying in jan or feb.
Laying eggs sept -Dec
Incubation of eggs 25 days (til end of jan )
Chicks stay in nest 7 weeks ... (till end of march)
So it is very clear an offence of the wildlife act, a breech of nes-f 55
And a breech of coastal policy 11
And a breech of the Agrochemicals NZS-8409
On no aerial spraying of nesting birds.
Therefore along with the non target damage their cannot be anymore aerial spraying . These
breeches of regulations and legislation
Along with incorrect permit lacking correct regulations must be addressed . With the
appropriate actions for such breeches.
This would also make this activity non discretionary as it should have been originally
considering the overlays and the nationally critically endangered species..
This must be actioned appropriately and all regulations and legislation applied for the spray
zone and overlays.. and appropriate resource consent applied.
This cannot happen for another two years the damage to the wetland will be irreparable,
The damage to the community irreparable and spraying of agrochemicals over a significant
ecological area with nationally critically endangered flora and fauna should be of your
highest protection ?
The damage done is major and unforgivable
And again spraying when birds are nesting a major offence ..
Peter Tounder-Bittern Review
https://95bfm.com/bcast/me-and-all-my-homies-love-native-manu-matuku-
h%C5%ABrepo-h%C4%81nuere-28-2026
from podcast: Breeding:
Female builds the nest platform of reeds about 20-30cm above water in in the depths of a
swamp.
Lay 3-5 olive-brown eggs between August and December, peak in November. Incubated by
female alone for about 25 days until they hatch. Chicks stay in nest for about 7 weeks.
Males are polygamous and spend breeding time defending their territory. They can have
multiple female partners on the nest incubating. So I suspect the males are so busy
defending their harem they forget about partner support activities.
DOC Colin O'DONNELL email attached.
https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/science-and-technical/sfc341.pdf
matuku nesting breeding season forest and bird information
The Australasian Bittern, or matuku-hūrepo, is a critically endangered, shy, and secretive
heron species in New Zealand that relies on healthy wetlands for breeding and feeding.
They are considered "nationally critical," with fewer than 1,000 birds left.
Here is a summary of the nesting and breeding information, based on studies and
conservation efforts highlighted by Forest & Bird, DOC, and NZ Birds Online:
Breeding Season and Behavior
Season: The breeding season for matuku-hūrepo occurs during spring and summer, with
eggs laid between August and December (peaking in November) and chick-rearing
happening from October to February.
"Booming" Season: The breeding season is marked by the male's "booming" call, which is a
low-frequency, resonant sound used to attract mates and defend territory. This booming
typically peaks from mid-September to mid-November.
Courtship: Males are polygamous and may mate with multiple females within their
territory.
Nest Type: The nest is a platform of reeds and rushes (often raupō) built by the female. It is
typically a semi-floating structure built in dense vegetation, usually 20–30 cm above the
water, often in shallow water (20–60 cm deep).
Nesting Facts
Clutch Size: 3 to 5 eggs are usually laid.
Incubation: Incubated by the female alone for approximately 25 days.
Fledging: Chicks stay in the nest for about 7 weeks.
Habitat: They require dense, wetland vegetation, specifically favoring raupō reed beds.
Sent from my Galaxy
