A total of 42 captive-bred shore plovers were released onto Motutapu Island in 2012 in the hope they would become established there and on other pest-free islands in the Hauraki Gulf. The birds repeatedly flew away, and only five were still present in 2015 when nineteen more were released. Motutapu had its mammalian pests removed in 2010, and the breeding population there increased from one pair in 2015 to three pairs in 2016. These birds are currently the most accessible to the public.
