It’s very apt that a kōtuku (white heron) has decided to hang out in the Arvida Waimea Plains retirement village this winter when a metre-high metal sculpture of a kōtuku graces its bridge.
Resident Margaret Walker says residents see the tall, elegant bird most days and it has made itself right at home, initially with a ready meal on hand.
“I’ll tell you why he’s in the village – he’s been getting fish in the fishpond, and they’ve had to cover the pond. He’s just beautiful and we all love him. We came from Māpua and we had Hamish (a visiting Kōtuku) there for a long time, coming back every year. But I’ve never seen one here before.”
Another resident, Rosie Ross, says the newcomer is quite cheeky and has been “prowling around the village”.
“He’s quite cocky and gets up on the deck and looks in the clubhouse. He’s a cheeky little bugger.
“He caught a sparrow in the bird feeder and swallowed it whole. He’s quite determined to get what he wants.”
According to the Department of Conservation, in New Zealand the kōtuku only breed near Whataroa in South Westland, often feeding in the Ōkārito Lagoon, then after breeding disperse widely to coastal freshwater wetlands or estuaries.
