27-07-2025
Join ‘The Great Matuku-hūrepo Muster'- Help Save A Species
It is almost Spring, the whitebait are getting set to run and Bittern are making their way to the coast to fuel up for breeding season. At the same time hundreds of volunteers right across New Zealand are getting ready to put their boots on and head out to a wetland near them to help record the 'boom' of the male bittern in 'The Great Matuku-hūrepo Muster 2025'
The population of Bittern is reported to be less than 1000 and declining. Bittern are amongst our most severely threatened bird species, facing an immediate high risk of extinction.
With swift action on the ground now, we have the opportunity to save Bittern in their natural wetland habitats. 'The Great Matuku-hūrepo Muster' is part of a programme to do exactly this.
The Great Matuku Muster, the first nationwide synchronised count of Bittern | Matuku-hūrepo (Australasian bittern, Botaurus poiciloptilus) took place in Spring 2024. The 2024 Muster saw 500 people stationed around the edges of wetlands across New Zealand, listening and recording the 'boom' sound male bittern make.
Coordinated nationwide by the 'Love Bittern Project', the muster's results are being used to create positive action on the ground to protect Bittern and restore their wetland homes.
Bittern are a native wetland bird classified as 'threatened -nationally critical". They are recognised scientifically as an apex predator of wetland ecosystems and as such are the ideal indicator species to measure the overall health and biodiversity of our fresh and brackish water wetlands.
Bittern are one New Zealand's largest birds, yet many people have never heard of them' this is because Bittern are incredibly shy, elusive and camouflage well in their wetland habitat.
By contrast however their presence is easily detected during breeding season by a massive 'boom' sound the male bittern produces. The males use their oesophagus like a set of bagpipes to release a series of deep and bassy 'whoooom' sounds that can be heard over a kilometre away.
It is this unique booming character that allows those who participate in 'The Great Matuku-hūrepo Muster' to effectively record male bittern across wetlands throughout New Zealand.
Wendy Ambury from the 'Love Bittern Project' says 'Collectively we recorded only 223 individual male bittern booming in 'The Great Matuku Muster' in 2024, however the value of the muster goes way beyond monitoring to get numbers. The nationwide event helps to raise awareness for Bittern and connects people to their wetlands - a vital first step to help their recovery'
The muster results, combined with results from surveys using acoustic recorders, provide a better idea of the baseline population in each project area and together provide a nationwide picture which helps inform management and protection of the species.
Technology is being rapidly developed to create user-friendly apps that help participants in the field to record bittern, dramatically improving time efficiency and data accuracy . And while AI is also being used more and more to speed up analysis of acoustic recording, traditional pen and paper methods are still widely used to record during the muster.
Bittern are highly mobile, capable of flying from region to region in search of wetlands that provide food, mates and security. At this scale we can't expect conservation agencies alone to record or protect Bittern, it will take community involvement to meet the gap and have enduring results.
Recognising this, the 'Love Bittern Project' is building nationwide capacity and capability in communities across Aotearoa. The project is helping people to identify and protect Bittern, recognise the value of wetlands and encourage them to take meaningful action.
By helping bittern we are also helping all other threatened wetland dependent species, restoring wetlands so they are able to perform their crucial functions like water filtration and flood protection, which supports people and communities too.
Much like Bittern the Love Bittern Project crew are travelling and stopping in every region of New Zealand over the next four months helping to deliver information and training in workshops, community hui, school visits and ultimately supporting people in every corner of New Zealand to take their next step to help save Bittern from extinction.
