Is this New Zealand's loneliest bird?
A bar-tailed godwit has spent the past week making its home on the New Plymouth foreshore.
Tens of thousands of godwits are found at the Firth of Thames and Manukau Harbour, and areas further north. Others gather on secluded parts of the South Island - but this little godwit is here on its own.
The large waders make the longest non-stop flight of any bird and also make the longest journey without pausing to feed. When they do stop, they feed on molluscs, crabs, marine worms and aquatic insects. It's hoped the disoriented godwit meets up with its other feathered friends in time to travel the 11,700km back to Alaska.
