Research carried out by SIT environmental student Courtney Officer and SIT environmental management school programme manager Jordon Traill confirmed that the fernbird that had not been seen in the area for decades had now made a return.
Mr Traill said that Ms Officer had carried out surveys across Sandy Point wetlands in 2023 and found an area where the birds were present over three months.
"It’s only been a year of the study so far, but the population’s more widespread than we originally thought.
"It’s a great sign that the birds are returning to the wetlands and it means that the ecosystem is really healthy," he said.
The fernbird is a small, sparrow-sized, well-camouflaged bird, found mainly in dense, low wetland vegetation. It is an insectivorous bird endemic to New Zealand.
Mr Traill said 14 fernbirds were located during the first survey and 16 were recorded during the second.
The surveys were conducted twice a year to coincide with the fernbirds’ breeding season.
"Fernbirds live around wetlands ... they are seen in Bluff, Otatara and Waituna and to now see them on the estuary in Sandy Point and by Daffodil Bay is great."
Mr Traill said the change of the area from a paddock to a regenerated wetland also led to the return of the rare bird.
"Our Southland wetlands are really special. Valuing all the wetlands that we have around us is one of the first ways to start getting the birds back.
"When we value a place, we’ll see the birds return," he said.
Due to the speed and size of the birds no photographs of the fernbirds have been successfully taken at Sandy Point yet.
