The black-fronted tern is highly endangered. Photo: Ben Ackerley / iNaturalist NZ (CC BY-NC 4.0)
A Canterbury conservation group is apprehensive about an upcoming "Crate Day" four-wheel drive group travelling up the Waimakariri River, where endangered black-fronted terns are nesting.
Crate Day is an unofficial celebration on the first Saturday of December where people challenge themselves to drink a crate of beer before midnight.
The annual event, which last year attracted almost 150 vehicles, has moved from the Ashley Rakahuri River after protesters, plus the police and the Department of Conservation also attended.
Grant Davey is from the Ashley Rakahuri Rivercare Group and spoke to Midday Report.
He said last year revellers on Crate Day caused a lot of damage.
"Last season there were a couple of large black-fronted tern colonies. The black-fronted tern is the most endangered bird on the river.
"The vehicles drove through one of those, disturbing the birds a lot, driving over the nests. It's just something which shouldn't be happening in the 21st century.
Some eggs were crushed, Davey said.
Four wheel drivers "really, really should not be driving through nesting colonies of endangered indigenous birds".
At least one Crate Day organiser this year has "very responsibly" changed their plans to happen after the nesting season.
However, the worst things the terns face is not Crate Day, but Norway rats and cats, he said.
"Recently one cat took out an entire black-fronted tern colony. Two rats took out another 12 nest tern colonies."
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