White Heron Sanctuary Tours

Join this exclusive guided birdwatching tour to visit New Zealand’s only White Heron or Kōtuku breeding ground, located in the enchanting Waitangiroto Nature Reserve near Whataroa on the West Coast of the South Island.​​​

​Here, you will be greeted by the extraordinary sight of the country’s sole White Heron colony — approximately 50 pairs of these rare and majestic birds, interacting and nesting together in their ancestral, untouched natural habitat.​

​Be captivated by the ethereal beauty and grace of the Kōtuku.  Witness elaborate plumage displays, endearing courtship rituals, stick gathering, nest building, incubation and chick feeding — all behaviours seen only here at their sacred nesting site, during their breeding season.