A bird that does not usually reside in Canterbury was spotted in Ashburton on Tuesday.
A Department of Conservation spokesperson said a resident sent a photo and video of what appeared to be a weka.
‘‘It was seen in Tinwald, just before 7am. It was the corner of Ferrier Place and Nixon St, next to the pottery club.’’
The subspecies of western weka live on the West Coast, Fiordland, Marlborough Sounds and Nelson.
The subspecies of buff weka was once widespread across the eastern South Island, but went extinct on the mainland by the 1920s. They now survive on the Chatham Islands.
Up the road about 10km from Tinwald is a breeding site for buff weka, at Riverbridge Conservation Park.
Owner Russell Langdon said ‘‘it’s possible’’ when asked if the weka could have come from the park.
However, Langdon believed fencing around the 10ha area where the birds bred was secure and undamaged.
He said the weka seen at Tinwald could just as easily be of the western subspecies and have been relocated by someone bringing it from the West Coast.
Langdon said both subspecies looked similar as adults; it was hard to distinguish them from each other.
At any rate, he did not think it was a bad thing to see a weka wandering freely on the Canterbury Plains.
‘‘I think it’s good to see them out in the open,’’ Langdon said.
The DOC spokesperson advised people to contact DOC on 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468), ‘‘or in the case of this bird, the local native wildlife park where it’s most likely come from’’.
‘‘Our advice is don’t catch native wildlife and always check your vehicles especially on the West Coast if doors are left open. Also leave wildlife where they are supposed to be and if you come across an injured native animal or bird, ring 0800 DOC HOT.’’
