Located only an hour from Auckland the Miranda Shorebird Centre is an excellent stop to escape the city and have a look at some of New Zealand’s amazing birdlife. With nearly half of the population of the endemic Wrybill found at Miranda during part of the year, and with numbers of shorebirds often exceeding 10,000 the Miranda coastline is almost a mandatory stop for any birdwatcher passing by.

The amazing annual migrations of Bar-tailed Godwits, nearly half the world population of Wrybill, whirling flocks of thousands of shorebirds, the rare geology of shell bank cheniers, the nature and rhythms of the estuary – these are just some of the features of the Miranda coast. These and other stories are told at the Miranda Shorebird Centre on the Firth of Thames.

Shorebirds are here all year round, the highest numbers are present from January to March. The best time to view the birds is 2 hours either side of high tide. The tide is similar to the Thames high tide.

The Shorebird Centre has overnight accommodation; self-contained units as well as bunkrooms for hire. Stay with us us while you check out New Zealand's shorebirds.