The Department of Conservation is shocked that children kicked and abused protected oystercatcher chicks on a Northland beach.
The department has warned about the hefty penalties facing those who disturb protected wildlife.
The children’s behaviour was reported to DoC by a Mangawhai local. They said they saw three boys, aged about 10 or 12, kick two variable oystercatcher (VOC) chicks whose parents were nearby at the Mangawhai Sandspit on January 28.
Variable oystercatchers are found around much of New Zealand, often seen in pairs looking for shellfish along beaches or in estuaries. They have been protected since 1922 when their population declined.
One of the children buried a dead chick in the sand and left the other struggling in a heap with VOC adults pecking it. The boys ran off after an adult spoke to them.