Kāmana/Australasian crested grebe: Less than 1,000 in NZ

Lake Dunstan, Central Otago, January 2010. Image © Craig McKenzie by Craig McKenzie

There are less than 1,000 kāmana/ Australian Crested Grebe left in NZ. Last surveyed in 2012, these birds are now listed as Nationally vulnerable. We, however, are fortunate to have the majority of remaining birds in the Otago and Canterbury region. Found in alpine and sub-alpine lakes and wetlands, kāmana can be found on Lake Dunstan and nearby lakes.
The main threats to their extinction is predation by introduced pests, loss of shoreline habitat for nesting and hydro-electric schemes.

You can do your bit to help monitor these beautiful yet vulnerable birds by logging sightings on the eBird website or app. eBird is among the world’s largest biodiversity-related science projects, with more than 100 million bird sightings contributed annually by eBirders around the world. This data can help us learn their distribution and where conservation efforts need to be established. Click on the links below to learn more about this majestic bird and eBird.

NZBO - kāmana

ebird website