September 29, 2025 • 5 mins
Mike Hargraves chats about the Matuku Muster.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Next on the Muster, we're catching up with Mike Hargray's
Here's Biodiversity Officer and Environment south and of course the
segment is sponsored by Environment Southland. Mike, welcome to the
muster once again.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
House Sikes Andy, very good, thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
How are you the Martuku Muster? What's this about regarding
rural Southland.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Yes, so we'll take it from the top. We had
to talk about Martuku Muster, which is of course the
Australasian bitten or the Martuku herd epo against the name
Martuku Muster. Now, there's a very large and very secretive
bird that live in wetlands across our Aroa. If you're
not familiar, they can grow up to about half a
meter tall. They are big, beautiful mottled golden brown color
(00:47):
with a very thick neck. Listeners might be familiar with
their ability to absolutely blend into their vegetation habitat. They
have a habit of standing very still with their neck
pointing straight up and they just disappear. These guys are
the champions of camouflage. They are an incredible bird, but
unfortunately they face a range of challenges. So because they
(01:08):
are so secretive and move around so much, this makes
them very tricky to count. The estimates of their population
range a lot, but it's thought that there are at
less than one thousand individual birds, so they are in
vic triple. That's where there martok who mustter comes in.
It's a citizen science project aiming to get people all
around the country to do a survey of these birds
(01:30):
at the same time to avoid double counting. In spring,
the mails make a very low frequency booming sound to
attract mates, and this is what is counted during this
nartok who muster.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
So they're a very distinctive bird.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
They are very distinctive, Yes they are. They're not really
like anything else. If you are fortunate enough to see one,
you'll definitely know this is not an ordinary bird. Like
I say, very big, very thick neck, quite quite distinctive.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
So like the farmers as the landowners, if they see
sightings other atokoo, what are they to do.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
If you are fortunate enough to see one, I would
encourage that you can report these sightings to the website
called Iye Naturalist. This is a very good place to
report these charts and caunters. If you happen across one
down the back of the paddock, you know, down the creek.
Try and get a photo if you can do so
without disturbing the bird, would be awesome and upload this
(02:27):
to high naturalists. I would say that as being aware
that these birds might be using habitat on your property
as the first big step. They could pop up anytime,
and they do pop up anytime anywhere, so just being
aware they could be out there. If people want to
get involved, I would encourage them to get involved with
events like the Martuku Muster. The survey involves spending time
(02:49):
after sunset around the full moon and spring, so you
know around this time of year obviously, and to listen
to that booming I mentioned before. All the starter is
collated across the nation and the sites compared to try
and do a good survey. The October dates are this
weekend with the full moon next week, which of course
the school holies are still happening, so it's a great
(03:09):
opportunity to get out with the family, spend some time
in the evening and see if you're lucky enough to
hear a booming bitten.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
So why south in such a key region.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
We're very fortunate down here in Southland because we have
some relatively large and intact areas of bitten habitat remaining,
as well as some smaller and equally useful areas of
wetland throughout Southland. For this reason, it's it'd be great
if we can get out and survey as much as
this habitat across the region as possible to really get
a handle on how many of these birds might still
(03:41):
be out there. Bittin are a highly mobile species. They
can travel long distances a lot further than researchers first thought,
and they do this as they're looking across the region
for the suitable habitat. And therefore, because they travel around
so much, they can and do appear in areas all
across the region, even if it is a long way
from another area of wetland.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
So support and resources that environments south and offers land
owners regarding them a tickio habitat, what is there We're really.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Keen to hear from any landowners or groups who are
keen to work to support the bit in population across southnd.
These guys, they have quite specific habitat criteria. They like
large areas of vegetation, you know, your rushes, your reeds, flaxes.
They require quite shallow water for hunting between fifteen to
(04:30):
twenty centimeters. It needs to be quality water that's clear
so they can see through it, and obviously need the
good source of food as well. Their favorite food fish eels,
but they will also go for frogs and vertebrates and
even crustaceans, so they can offer advice on that. We
also have some funding opportunities to help landowners to maybe
(04:52):
enhance or develop areas of wetland on their property that
may be suitable habitat for them. And we encourage any
listeners to get in touch with us at the Environment
south and to talk through his option as well as
just giving advice. If listeners take one thing away today,
I would encourage people to go on the love Bitten
website to learn more about Bitten themselves, as well as
(05:14):
the martok You Master and hopefully learn something from all
the great resources on the love Bitterin website.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Good on you, Mike, I appreciate your time this afternoon.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Thanks very much.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Andycome Mike har Grace of Environment Southland. This is the Master.
Before we wrap up, we're a wright away murmur catching
out Lavarren Ross
Next on the Muster, we're catching up with Mike Hargray's
Here's Biodiversity Officer and Environment south and of course the
segment is sponsored by Environment Southland. Mike, welcome to the
muster once again.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
House Sikes Andy, very good, thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
How are you the Martuku Muster? What's this about regarding
rural Southland.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Yes, so we'll take it from the top. We had
to talk about Martuku Muster, which is of course the
Australasian bitten or the Martuku herd epo against the name
Martuku Muster. Now, there's a very large and very secretive
bird that live in wetlands across our Aroa. If you're
not familiar, they can grow up to about half a
meter tall. They are big, beautiful mottled golden brown color
(00:47):
with a very thick neck. Listeners might be familiar with
their ability to absolutely blend into their vegetation habitat. They
have a habit of standing very still with their neck
pointing straight up and they just disappear. These guys are
the champions of camouflage. They are an incredible bird, but
unfortunately they face a range of challenges. So because they
(01:08):
are so secretive and move around so much, this makes
them very tricky to count. The estimates of their population
range a lot, but it's thought that there are at
less than one thousand individual birds, so they are in
vic triple. That's where there martok who mustter comes in.
It's a citizen science project aiming to get people all
around the country to do a survey of these birds
(01:30):
at the same time to avoid double counting. In spring,
the mails make a very low frequency booming sound to
attract mates, and this is what is counted during this
nartok who muster.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
So they're a very distinctive bird.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
They are very distinctive, Yes they are. They're not really
like anything else. If you are fortunate enough to see one,
you'll definitely know this is not an ordinary bird. Like
I say, very big, very thick neck, quite quite distinctive.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
So like the farmers as the landowners, if they see
sightings other atokoo, what are they to do.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
If you are fortunate enough to see one, I would
encourage that you can report these sightings to the website
called Iye Naturalist. This is a very good place to
report these charts and caunters. If you happen across one
down the back of the paddock, you know, down the creek.
Try and get a photo if you can do so
without disturbing the bird, would be awesome and upload this
(02:27):
to high naturalists. I would say that as being aware
that these birds might be using habitat on your property
as the first big step. They could pop up anytime,
and they do pop up anytime anywhere, so just being
aware they could be out there. If people want to
get involved, I would encourage them to get involved with
events like the Martuku Muster. The survey involves spending time
(02:49):
after sunset around the full moon and spring, so you
know around this time of year obviously, and to listen
to that booming I mentioned before. All the starter is
collated across the nation and the sites compared to try
and do a good survey. The October dates are this
weekend with the full moon next week, which of course
the school holies are still happening, so it's a great
(03:09):
opportunity to get out with the family, spend some time
in the evening and see if you're lucky enough to
hear a booming bitten.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
So why south in such a key region.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
We're very fortunate down here in Southland because we have
some relatively large and intact areas of bitten habitat remaining,
as well as some smaller and equally useful areas of
wetland throughout Southland. For this reason, it's it'd be great
if we can get out and survey as much as
this habitat across the region as possible to really get
a handle on how many of these birds might still
(03:41):
be out there. Bittin are a highly mobile species. They
can travel long distances a lot further than researchers first thought,
and they do this as they're looking across the region
for the suitable habitat. And therefore, because they travel around
so much, they can and do appear in areas all
across the region, even if it is a long way
from another area of wetland.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
So support and resources that environments south and offers land
owners regarding them a tickio habitat, what is there We're really.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Keen to hear from any landowners or groups who are
keen to work to support the bit in population across southnd.
These guys, they have quite specific habitat criteria. They like
large areas of vegetation, you know, your rushes, your reeds, flaxes.
They require quite shallow water for hunting between fifteen to
(04:30):
twenty centimeters. It needs to be quality water that's clear
so they can see through it, and obviously need the
good source of food as well. Their favorite food fish eels,
but they will also go for frogs and vertebrates and
even crustaceans, so they can offer advice on that. We
also have some funding opportunities to help landowners to maybe
(04:52):
enhance or develop areas of wetland on their property that
may be suitable habitat for them. And we encourage any
listeners to get in touch with us at the Environment
south and to talk through his option as well as
just giving advice. If listeners take one thing away today,
I would encourage people to go on the love Bitten
website to learn more about Bitten themselves, as well as
(05:14):
the martok You Master and hopefully learn something from all
the great resources on the love Bitterin website.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Good on you, Mike, I appreciate your time this afternoon.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Thanks very much.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Andycome Mike har Grace of Environment Southland. This is the Master.
Before we wrap up, we're a wright away murmur catching
out Lavarren Ross
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