Crate Day punters are being urged to keep their cars away from beaches and river beds, where rare native birds may be nesting

The unofficial first Saturday of December celebration coincides with the peak nesting season for some of our braided river birds - which nest alongside Canterbury rivers.

This includes the wrybill, black-fronted tern and black-billed gull.

The Department of Conservation's Leeann Ellis, says Cantabrians should think first, before taking their four wheel drives for a spin.

She says people wouldn't accidentally hurt a Kea or Kiwi egg without feeling bad about it - and these other species simply aren't recognised like this.