Elusive 'boomer' backed as early contender in annual election

The matuku or Australasian bittern is so good at being undercover, that it is difficult to find and track. Photo / Imogen Warren

The chance to champion not only an endangered bird but wetland ecosystems is an opportunity too good to miss for Go Eco (Waikato Environment Centre).

There are 164 species of New Zealand's native birds currently at risk of extinction. Wanting to help take the matuku or Australasian bittern off the list is Go Eco who have made an early announcement of their Bird of the Year contender to coincide with Conservation Week - Te Wiki Tiaki Ao Turoa.

Last year they promoted the North Island kōkako, but this year decided to champion a relatively unknown species of which there are possibly fewer than 700.

The notoriously elusive matuku is so good at being undercover, that it's proving difficult to find and track. Matuku usually live deep in dense wetlands, camouflage well with reeds and hold a freeze pose if they hear a disturbance.

"The biggest threat to the matuku is habitat loss. Ninety per cent of our freshwater wetlands have been drained since colonisation, and alongside water degradation and introduced predators we find ourselves at a point where researchers are considering whether matuku are starving to death, being unable to sustain their diet," says Go Eco.

Whangamarino threatened plant survey has uncovered an exciting find for Waikato botanists. Photo / DoC

The Whangamarino wetland in the Waikato district is a significant breeding site for matuku. It is 7000 hectares, the second largest freshwater wetland in the North Island and an International Ramsar site for ecological significance.

The Department of Conservation has also included it in its Arawai Kākāriki wetland restoration programme.

"We know the matuku doesn't have bright colours or a beautiful singing voice but it's critically endangered and can be seen as an indicator of wetland health which is an important conversation to be having in the Waikato."

While the matuku may not be renowned for its song, it has been nicknamed the Boomer for the male's distinctive mating call.

Fellow bittern advocate Margaret Jenkins recalls: "I first heard the call of the bittern when I was about 9 or 10 years old. We were out exploring the farmland when we heard the boom boom noise.

"Then we saw it, ever so still, as if listening for a very distant reply. Or perhaps gifting us with its call. Sixty years on, I still recall that distinctive boom boom sound because it was so different from any other bird I had heard.

"I love that memory because it is also attached to an elusive, and very private creature which has managed somehow to survive against the odds of losing most of its habitat. Sixty years from now, I would like others to have that special memory."

Recent winners of the hotly contested, often contentious Bird of the Year competition are the Kākāpō, Hoiho, Kererū, Kea and North Island Kokako. The competition started in 2005 and seeks to raise awareness of the plight of our native birds.

Voting for Bird of the Year/Te Manu Rongonui o Te Tau opens on Monday, October 18 running until Sunday, October 31. For campaign updates: https://www.facebook.com/VoteforBittern.