Kōtuku-ngutupapa is the Maori name for the royal spoonbill (Platalea regia), which is a fairly recent arrival to New Zealand. Spoonbills were first recorded in the North Island in the 1860s, and they started breeding at Okarito on the West Coast in the late 1940s. Today, spoonbills can often be seen feeding on the mudflats around Motueka. They feed in shallow water, sweeping their bills back and forth looking for invertebrates and fish. Their rhythmic sweeping motion and brilliant white feathers makes them easily recognisable at a distance.
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