The Whangapoua Beach population of New Zealand Dotterel offers a fragile hope for the future of the species, if only because it is remote from human population and not presently under threat from coastal residential development. As these birds nest on the beach, they are most vulnerable to human disturbance, as well as the usual bevy of introduced mammalian predators; feral cats and rats especially. At least Great Barrier Island has no Mustelids. However because one loose dog on the beach at a critical time can wipe out a season's offspring, people must be educated about the vulnerability of these birds.