The Kōtare is one of Waikawa Beach's most recognisable native birds and can often be seen perched patiently on fence posts, driftwood, cabbage trees and power lines watching for its next meal.

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Although often associated with water, Kingfishers are equally at home hunting across dunes, wetlands, paddocks, gardens and open grassland.

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Their diet includes insects, lizards, small fish, frogs and crustaceans, making them important predators within healthy ecosystems and excellent indicators of environmental health.​ Kōtare rely on a variety of habitats and benefit from the restoration of wetlands, waterways and native vegetation that support the rich food webs they depend upon.

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Their unmistakable call and brilliant flashes of turquoise and green are a familiar and much-loved part of life at Waikawa Beach.

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