The Great Matuku Muster

It’s the first year for ‘The Great Matuku Muster’ which encourages everyone to record bittern on the same day(s) nationwide to avoid double counting – giving a better estimate of their population.

Love Bittern is a project dedicated to helping species-led conservation of Australasian bittern | Matuku-hūrepo (Botaurus poiciloptilus) in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Why? Matuku-hūrepo are Threatened – Nationally Critical, that is just one step away from extinction. By protecting Matuku, which are near the top of the food chain in our wetlands | repo we can help build a thriving eco-system, (of tuna (eel), fish, plants, insects, etc.) clean water and more resilient communities.

Where? The Love Bittern Project follows the call of the Matuku from place to place right throughout Aotearoa gathering and sharing collective knowledge. When not travelling you will find them in Ngunguru, Te Tai Tokerau (Northland, New Zealand).

The Love Bittern project (and in some areas the Bittern Conservation Trust) is providing support around Aotearoa , the colour coded circle beside your region tells you when she will be in your region.

In the muster, people or groups are encouraged to coordinate active monitoring (people observing in the field) to record observations and males booming 30 minutes before and after their local sunset for 3 days each month around, and including, these main dates:

• Saturday 14 September
• Saturday 19 October (this is the key date so, if you can only do one day, please try and make this one)
• Saturday 16 November

For more information and to register, see https://lovebittern.com.