Story: Birdwatching

Wrybills roosting

Wrybills roosting

The wrybill is one of several shorebird species unique to New Zealand. It is also the only bird in the world with a sideways curving bill. The birds use it to reach small invertebrates under round stones in the riverbeds where they breed in summer. It also acts like a sieving spoon as they sift through fine mud for crustaceans at coastal mudflats, where they feed in winter.

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Department of Conservation
Reference: 10031481
Photograph by Dick Veitch

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How to cite this page:

Gordon Ell, 'Birdwatching - Native and introduced birds', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/11933/wrybills-roosting (accessed 28 April 2024)

Story by Gordon Ell, published 24 Sep 2007, reviewed & revised 17 Feb 2015