Greetings from Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre.
There is a Bird of the Year ballot currently under way in this country and I am campaign manager for godwits. You do not have to be resident here – anyone with an email account is eligible to vote, and we are, after all, talking about a trans-global species! Voting is very easy at www.birdoftheyear.org.nz
Why Pukorokoro Miranda Naturalists’ Trust needs you to Vote Godwit
- To keep our godwits coming to NZ we need the support of people all around the world. Voting Bar-tailed Godwit for bird of the year will help PMNT show people around the world that NZ cares about this species, our bird and their bird. It will be a powerful message.
- NZ has some amazing conservation stories, but we’d like to stop the decline of shorebirds before another desperate rescue is required. Red Knots are declining steadily (about 5% a year), godwits are declining more slowly, about 2% a year. Vote Bar-tailed Godwit to help raise awareness about the conservation needs of our migratory shorebirds.
- Godwits are just cool. Bar-tailed godwits still hold the record for the longest flight by a landbird – Alaska to NZ without stopping – and they have to flap their wings the whole way – no soaring for these birds. A vote for the Bar-tailed Godwit is an acknowledgement of its incredible abilities.
- Godwits, and all of our migratory shorebirds that head north, are reliant on the Yellow Sea in China as a stopping point. Its an amazing area but there are huge pressures on it and massive habitat loss for our birds. Voting Bar-tailed Godwit recognises the challenges that a changing world poses.
- Pukorokoro Miranda Naturalists’ trust is celebrating its 40th birthday with “Year of the godwit”. We’ve had great poster competitions and speakers. Voting Bar-tailed Godwit as bird of the year will take our celebration one step further.
Please forward this as widely as possible – friends, family, colleagues, networks it doesn’t matter – all votes count.
Keith Woodley
Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre
283 East Coast Road
RD 3 Pokeno 2473
Ph +64 9 232 2781
www.miranda-shorebird.org.nz