The woman discovered the bodies of the five pied oystercatchers near a fence on Letts Gully Rd, while out on a bike ride with her husband yesterday.
''I can't understand why someone would want to kill something so lovely.
"These birds come inland from the coast to this area every year, and the birds have been peppered with shot, maybe by someone hunting rabbits in the area,'' she said.
The woman, who declined to be named, said it was illegal to shoot the birds and she had reported the matter to the police.
''There's no harm in these birds, so I can't see why someone would be so thoughtless as to shoot them.''
Department of Conservation conservation services manager for the Alexandra office, Mike Tubbs, said it was ''very disappointing'' to hear the protected birds had been shot and Doc would be following up on the incident.
''Oystercatchers wouldn't present much of a challenge to any shooter and it's very disappointing to think someone would kill protected birds,'' he said.
