Join the matuku-hūrepo muster and help a rare wetland bird

You can help stop the beautiful wetland bird matuku-hūrepo from becoming extinct by taking part in The Great Matuku-hūrepo Muster. 

The first week of the muster runs from September 18-27. Volunteers gather at wetlands around the motu to count and record the “booms” of the male matuku-hūrepo - or Australasian bittern. The booms are the bittern's mating calls.

Volunteers listen and record the booms during two more weeks of the breeding season - October 23-November 1 and November 20-29.

Sign up for the muster here!

The population of matuku-hūrepo in Aotearoa is unknown. It's thought that somewhere between 600-1000 birds are left, and they are at high risk of extinction.

The muster helps DOC “understand more about the shape of matuku-hūrepo populations and how they use their wetland habitats so we can help keep their homes healthy, and so they've got space to thrive”.

The Great Matuku-hūrepo Muster synchronises the counts right across the country so we don’t end up double counting bittern.

Need help? Contact Love Bittern’s Wendy Ambury at lovebittern@gmail.com