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. 

During the muster, which runs from September to November, volunteers gather at wetlands around the motu to count the “booms” of the male matuku-hūrepo - or bittern. The booms are the bittern's mating calls.

The population of matuku-hūrepo here in Aotearoa is unknown – somewhere between 600-1000 birds are left, we think… 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.

Sign up for the 2026 Great Matuku-hūrepo Muster here. Need help? Contact Love Bittern’s Wendy Ambury at lovebittern@gmail.com