Effect of willow removal on habitat use by five birds of braided rivers, Mackenzie Basin, New Zealand
We evaluated willow removal as a technique for enhancing habitat for birds of braided rivers by monitoring five bird species at three sites in the Mackenzie Basin, New Zealand, from 1991 to 1994 Four species—banded dotterel (Charadrius bicinctus), pied stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae), black- fronted tern (Sterna albostriata) and South Island pied oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) used the areas of riverbed cleared of willows for nesting and foraging, at the same or greater density than other areas of riverbed already free from willows.