There's plenty to see and do at the estuary.
The estuary walkway provides beautiful views, and there are signs along the way providing information about some of the birds you might see.
There is a lot of interesting wildlife at the estuary. As well as birds, the estuary is also home to some interesting plants and is an important habitat for native fish.
The Manawatū Estuary Trust enjoys giving people the opportunity to learn more about this amazing environ
Ngutu pare/Wrybill Anarhynchus frontalis
Endemic. Threatened-naturally increasing.
One percent of the Aotearoa New Zealand population of Wrybills overwinters in the Manawatū Estuary, making this an important location for these waders. The best place to see them in the estuary is from the Dawick Street viewing platform at high tide, when they roost on the sandspit. They're usually seen only in winter, since in summer they're breeding on South Islands braided river systems.
The Wrybill is the only bird in the world to have a beak that is bent to one side and is its most easily identifiable feature. A stocky shorebird, it has a pale grey back and white underparts and, in the breeding season, a thin black band across its breast. The black bill curves to the right. Its legs are grey green and not long.
A gregarious bird in winter, it's usually seen in flocks on the Estuary. It feeds on mudflats by sieving tiny crustacea out of the water and mud, making sweeping motions with its bill. It also stalks and seizes polychaete worms and crabs, as well as probing the mud for worms and bivalves.
Armitage, I. 2007. Wrybills (Anarhynchus frontalis) at the Manawatu River Estuary, North Island, New Zealand. Notornis 54 118-119.
Huahou/Lesser Knot Calidrus canutus
Native. At risk-declining.
Frequently called Red Knot but a more appropriate name for Aotearoa New Zealand is Lesser Knot. The red refers to their breeding plumage which they acquire for their Arctic stay but arrive here in their non-breeding colouration of grey for our summer. They are best seen from the Dawick Street viewing platform at high tide, roosting on the sandspit, and can also be seen feeding on the mudflats at low tide. By mid-summer they may number several hundred.
Lesser Knot are a stocky, nondescript shorebird that can be mistaken for other, rarer migrants. It is a plump bird with short, dull green legs and a short, heavy, straight black bill. General plumage is grey brown above, with pale feather edges that clearly mark the individual feathers, and has pale grey underparts with some markings on the flanks. In breeding plumage it has a rusty-red neck, head, and breast. A gregarious species, it is often seen in flocks but where there are only a few individuals, a group may roost with other species, especially Bar-tailed Godwits. It feeds on the mudflats at the tide line, drilling rapidly into the mud in search of invertebrates with a motion rather like that of a sewing machine needle, probing as they move around.
Pohowera/Banded Dotterel Charadrius bicintus
Native. At risk-declining.
Pohowere/Banded Dotterel breed mainly inland, moving to coastal regions in late December and are at their greatest numbers in February. From mid-July they begin to return to their breeding grounds. Most years at least one attempt is made to nest in the sand dunes. Usual clutch size is three with incubation reputed to be around four weeks. Young are active from hatching and take a further 6 weeks to become independent.
Plumage is variable with non-breeding livery pictured opposite. Two distinctive dark brown and chestnut bands cross the breast in breeding plumage, which fade as winter approaches.
These active little birds are visual feeders, running across the mudflats and stopping when they see something interesting. Their diet consists of crustacea, worms, flies and berries from species such as Muehlenbeckia and Coprosma.
Kuriri/Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva
Native. At risk-declining.
The Pacific Golden Plover breeds in Siberia and Alaska, so it is only seen in Aotearoa New Zealand during our spring and summer months arriving from mid-September onwards and heading back in March and April. The annual migration round trip is 25-27000km.
Usually seen in small flocks of up to 12 birds. It feeds by making short runs, stopping abruptly when it sees something on the surface of the mud, and then snatching at what it's spotted. Small crabs, marine worms, invertebrates and earthworms make up their diet.
In non-breeding plumage Pacific Golden Plover are a mottled dark brown and buff on top with some hints of gold. It has a short black beak and grey legs, with a pale stripe above the eye, a pale forehead, and pale underparts, with some dull yellow-gold and dark speckled markings on the throat. Towards the end of summer black feathers will begin to show through as they prepare to migrate north to their breeding grounds.