Auckland Council and local workers have banded together to protect a group of endangered dotterel birds which have found a new home down on Auckland CBD's waterfront after being pushed out of their native habitat.
Senior Biodiversity Advisor for Auckland Council Ben Paris told 1 NEWS there was more than one reason the birds are making the shift inland.
The human housing squeeze could leave our native birds homeless again.
"We think as the pressure on the beaches comes in from urbanisation and the population expands that they're actually coming into more of these urban areas.
"Being squeezed out of their environment by things like people on the beaches and dogs especially are a real big threat for these birds, so this is actually a relatively safe environment for them," Mr Paris said.
There are only around 1700 dotterels left in New Zealand, the birds are found mainly in Auckland and are in the middle of their nesting season, with three chicks making their home with mum and dad in a vacant lot on Auckland CBD's waterfront.
Office manager at Rig Pro, Kristen Sneyd, says businesses in the area have taken it on themselves to look after the endangered birds.
"We are very vigilant, all of us are guardians here, to keep them safe we make sure that no one comes in with dogs and that they don't walk through their nesting site.
"So yes, I'm a mad bird lady," she told 1 NEWS laughing.
It's estimated about 13 per cent of the dotterel population in Auckland is now nesting inland away from beaches, with some even showing up at a mall on Auckland's North Shore.
For more on this story watch 1 NEWS at 6pm.
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