| If you prefer, view the birds one by one in my Slide Show New Zealand Falcon | Blue Duck | Brown Kiwi | Great Spotted Kiwi For anyone with an ongoing interest in what New Zealand native birds look like, it is hard to beat the stunning illustrations done by Johannes Gerardus Keulemans for Walter Bullers A History of the Birds of New Zealand, first published in London in 1888. You can find about 74 of these lovely paintings in a small, very inexpensive hard-cover book called Paintings of the Birds of New Zealand: The Art of J G Keulemans, which includes quotes from Bullers book and an introduction by Ross Galbreath. |
It was published in 2006 by Random New Zealand Ltd and is beautifully presented. I would have liked some up-to-date details on the birds still extant, particularly how endangered they are, but I paid only $14.99 for my copy so feel I can hardly complain. There is also a beautiful paperback book by Andrew Crowe called Which New Zealand Bird? I saw it in McLeod’s Book Shop, but it was around $35 so I didn’t buy it. That doesn’t mean to say I won’t ever buy it, of course! (August 2013): I recently bought the 2012 updated version of Buller’s famous book from Te Papa for $120 (a great special) but it seems to be hard to obtain now, though The Women's Bookshop has a few copies for $150. Search there for Buller's Birds of New Zealand: The Complete Works of J.G. Keulemans. Books on New Zealand birds are available (post-free) from cdwow.co.nz. At the moment the variety isn’t great but you can always ask them if they can get a particular title for you. The following 32 species arent the only birds that may be seen in a forest but the list includes those regarded as primarily forest-dwellers and others which, although not dependent on a purely forest habit, are commonly seen in forests. I havent included introduced birds such as sparrows, blackbirds and the song thrush, all of which are found in our native forests. Size refers to the overall length of the bird including its bill and tail. Birds that are not seen in forests (such as the pukeko, a type of swamp-hen) havent been included. Some of the information in this file may be outdated. DOC (Department of Conservation) and other people have been doing a great deal of work to preserve what remains of New Zealands native birds. New Zealand has the dubious distinction of having more extinct and endangered birds than any other country in the world. This is no reflection on New Zealanders. Its just that before humans discovered New Zealand it was (quite literally) a bird sanctuary. The only land mammals in the whole land were bats, which dont prey on birds. Here is a glimpse of a forest interior. (Photo by J H Johns, ARPS). While it shows sundrenched foliage and treeferns, our forests are very dense and their interiors would normally be quite dark. To hear the songs of some of the birds here go to Kiwi Wildlife Tours NZ. You can hear a dawn chorus at Te Ara: The Encycclopaedia of New Zealand. For more information on New Zealands birds of prey, and lots of photographs, see Wingspans web site. |
NEW ZEALAND FALCON (Karearea) Falco novaeseelandiae Size: 41-48cm. RETURN TO LIST |
BLUE DUCK (Whio) Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos Size: 53cmStatus: Uncommon. Range: North Island south of Coromandel Peninsula, northern and western districts of the South Island. Habitat: Rivers and streams of mountainous and hilly regions where there is a native forest cover. Food: Aquatic insects and larvae. Voice: Male a husky whistle whio, female a croaking, rather drawn out call craark. Breeding: August-November. Four to nine creamy white eggs. General: Once much more widely distributed but seriously affected by the destruction and modification of mountain forests. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
BROWN KIWI Apteryx australis Size: 46-56cmStatus: Threatened. Range: Throughout North Island but rarely reported south of the Manawatu Gorge. Northern and western parts of the South Island. Stewart Island. Habitat: Native forests, some forest remnants and scrub country. Food: Insects and worms, often obtained by probing in the ground, and forest fruits. Voice: Male a shrill, repeated, drawn out whistle kiwi (pronounced keewee); female a hoarse cry. The emphasis seems to be on the second syllable. Breeding: July-February. One, sometimes two, white eggs. General: North Island. South Island and Stewart Island birds are considered to be of separate subspecies. The differences, however, are not readily apparent in the field. The kiwi is nocturnal and has poor eyesight. Although it is flightless, it can run very fast. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
GREAT SPOTTED KIWI Apteryx haasti Size: 46-56cmStatus: Threatened. Range: Western districts of the South Island. Habitat: Native forest. Food: As for brown kiwi. Voice: Similar to brown kiwi. Breeding: Little information available. One, sometimes two, white eggs. General: Although larger, this species is difficult to distinguish from the little spotted in the field, and it can be confused with the brown kiwi. Its back has a chestnut tinge. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST LITTLE SPOTTED KIWI Apteryx oweni See Great Spotted Kiwi picture.Size: 36-46cm Status: Endangered. Range: Western districts of the South Island. Habitat: Native forests. Food: Little information available but presumably similar to brown kiwi. Voice: Similar to brown kiwi but higher pitched and more tremulous in quality. Breeding: Little information available. One white egg. General: The least common of the kiwis and possibly declining. There is little reliable information on distribution and numbers. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
WEKA Gallirallus australis Size: 54cmStatus: Fairly common. Range: North Island; Poverty Bay and a few scattered localities where re-introduced. South Island; from Nelson and northern Marlborough to Fiordland and West Otago. Stewart Island. Introduced to some off-shore islands and the Chathams. Habitat: Native forest and scrub, some urban areas and farmland. Food: Animal and vegetable matter of great variety, including small birds and mammals. Voice: A shrill whistle coo-et repeated many times. Also a deep drumming note. Breeding: September-April. Three to six eggs, creamy white or pinkish with brown and purplish blotches. General: There are four subspecies of weka: North Island, South Island, Stewart Island and Bluff. Differences are mainly in variations in the toning and amount of black and brown in the plumage. In addition, very dark forms of the South Island and Stewart Island subspecies are common. RETURN TO LIST |
KAKAPO Strigops habroptilus Size: 56-66cmStatus: Very rare. Range: A few valleys in the Milford Sound region, Fiordland. perhaps in western Nelson and the Ureweras. Habitat: Native forest and adjacent sub-alpine and alpine zones. Food: Leaves, stems, roots and fruits of a wide range of vegetation. Fibrous matter is well chewed and then discarded. Voice: A series of low but resonant booms repeated at intervals, probably restricted to the breeding season. Also a variety of grunts and screams. Breeding: December-February. Two to four white eggs. General: Once plentiful in both islands, the kakapo must now be considered in grave danger of extinction. With numbers continuing to decline, the Department of Conservation is taking steps to increase the numbers in the wild. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
KAKA Nestor Meridionalis Size: 43-48cmStatus: Fairly common. Range: Throughout main islands and the larger off-shore islands. Habitat: Large areas of native forest and occasionally adjacent exotic vegetation and nearby isolated patches of bushy, particularly where there are podocarps. Food: Fruit, leaves, insects and nectar. Voice: A harsh kaka, also a variety of whistling, musical notes. Breeding: November-January. Four to five white eggs. General: There is a North Island and a South Island subspecies, the South Island birds being rather more brightly coloured. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
KEA Nestor notabilis Size: 46-48cm.Status: Common. Range: South Island high country from Marlborough and Nelson to Fiordland. Straying to coastal areas. Habitat: Native forest and the sub-alpine and alpine zones. Food: Leaves, buds, fruits, insects and carrion. Voice: A penetrating and drawn out keaa and a variety of softer calls. Breeding: July-January. Two to four white eggs. General: Has been persecuted as a sheep killer but there is some doubt as to the extent it attacks healthy animals. A very cheeky bird, this mountain parrot is quite capable of doing damage to your car by pecking all the rubber from around the windows and pulling off windscreen wipers RETURN TO LIST |
RED-CROWNED PARAKEET (Kakariki) Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae Size: Male 27-30cm, Female 23-27cm.Status: Rare on mainland, common on off-shore islands. Range: A few localities throughout the main islands; many off-shore islands. Subspecies on the Kermadec, Chatham, Antipodes and Norfolk Islands and New Caledonia. Habitat: Native forest (on mainland, only the more extensive forests). Food: Fruit, seeds, leaves and buds. Voice: A rapid ki-ki-ki-ki in flight, also a variety of chattering and soft, musical calls. Breeding: October-March. Four to nine white eggs. General: Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
YELLOW-CROWNED PARAKEET Cyanoramphus auriceps Size: Male 23-27cm, Female 20-24cm.Status: Uncommon. Range: Throughout main islands and on many offshore islands. Chatham Island subspecies very rare and occurring only on Mangere and Little Mangere Islands. Habitat: The more extensive areas of native forest, particularly at higher altitudes. Food: Fruit, seeds, leaves and buds. Voice: Similar to red-crowned but slightly higher pitched. Breeding: August-April. Four to nine white eggs. General: Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
ORANGE-FRONTED PARAKEET Cyanoramphus Malherbi Size: Male 20-23cm, Female 19-22cm.Status: Threatened. Range: Northern South Island mountains. Habitat: Native forest. Food: Similar to red-crowned. Voice: Similar to yellow-crowned. Breeding: No available information. General: Has rarely been reported in recent years but is not easy to distinguish from yellow-crowned except at very close range. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
NEW ZEALAND PIGEON (Kereru)Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae Size: 51cm.Status: Common. Range: Throughout main islands and many off-shore islands. Habitat: Native forest, including much modified remnants and adjacent exotic vegetation, but rare in beech forest. Food: Fruit and foliage. Voice: A soft kuu, uttered singly and with fairly long pauses between. Breeding: November-January. One white egg. General: A subspecies is present but very rare on the Chatham Islands. Some people are lucky enough to have this lovely bird in their gardens but Ive seen them only on Tiritiri Matangi, an island in Aucklands Hauraki Gulf that has been turned into a sanctuary. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
LONG-TAILED CUCKOO (Koekoea) Eudynamis taitensis Size: 40cm.Status: Common. Range: Throughout main islands and many off-shore islands October to March. Winters in the North Pacific region. Habitat: Native and exotic forests. Food: Insects, small lizards. Voice: A long drawn out screech zzwheet with a rising emphasis. Alarm call a succession of rapid twittering notes zip-zip-zip. Breeding: Lays eggs in nests of several species but principally the whitehead in the North Island and the yellowhead and brown creeper in the South Island and Stewart Island. Eggs creamy white with spots or blotches in shades of browns and greys. General: Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
SHINING CUCKOO (Pipiwharauroa) Chalcites lucidus Size: 16cm.Status: Common. Range: Throughout the main islands and many off-shore islands from September to March. Winters in the Solomon Islands and Bismark Archipelago. Habitat: Native and exotic forest and almost everywhere else provided there is some tree or shrub cover and a suitable host species (preferably grey warbler) is present. Food: Mainly insects. Voice: An often repeated kiu-kiu-kiu with the last two notes ending with a downward, slurred intonation. Also a single note tsui repeated several times. Breeding: Lays eggs in nest of grey warbler and sometimes fantail, tomtit, silvereye and others. Eggs greenish or bluish white to olive brown or dark greenish brown. General: Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
MOREPORK (Ruru) Ninox novaeseelandiae Size: 29cm.Status: Common. Range: Throughout main islands and many off-shore and outlying islands. Habitat: Native and exotic forests, also small patches of modified forest and exotic trees. Food: Insects, small mammals, birds and lizards. Voice: Morepork sometimes repeated and prolonged, and a variety of screeches and mewing calls. Breeding: October-November. Two to three white eggs. General: Wherever you live in New Zealand youre almost bound to hear this little owl calling at night during the summer, provided there are enough trees around. It has the eerily silent flight that only owls can achieve. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
BUSH WREN (Matuhi) Xenicus longipes Size: 9cm.Status: Very rare. Range: Possibly Ureweras, Nelson and Fiordland, Stewart Island and outliers. Habitat: Native forest. Food: Insects obtained from tree trunks and foliage. Voice: A low volume call of high pitch pzz-it either singly or repeated. Breeding: Little is known of its breeding season or clutch size, eggs white. General: North Island, South island and Stewart Island subspecies. The North Island and Stewart Island subspecies could be extinct. The South Island subspecies has not been reported for some years. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
RIFLEMAN (Titipounamu) Acanthisitta chloris Size: 8cm.Status: Fairly common. Range: Southern two thirds of the North Island and throughout the South Island and Stewart Island. A few off-shore islands. Habitat: Native and exotic forests and scrubland. Food: Insects, obtained from the bark, mosses and lichens of the larger trees. Voice: A sharp, high-pitched zipt, singly or rapidly repeated. Breeding: August-January. Two to four white eggs. General: North Island and South Island birds are regarded as separate subspecies but the differences are slight. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
BROWN CREEPER (Pipipi) Finschia novaeseelandiae Size: 13cm.Status: Common. Range: South Island, Stewart Island and outliers. Habitat: Native forest, forest remnants and scrub, exotic plantations. Food: Insects found among tree branches and leaves, particularly in the forest canopy. Voice: Churr, churr, churr and a rapid succession of metallic trills with more musical notes interspersed. Breeding: November-January. Three to four eggs, white or pinkish with brown or reddish spots or blotches. General: Often occurs in noisy flocks. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
GREY WARBLER (Riroriro) Gerygone igata Size: 8cm.Status: Common. Range: Throughout main islands and many off-shore islands. Habitat: Native and exotic forests and almost everywhere else provided there is some tree or shrub cover. Food: Insects and spiders usually obtained from tree bark, leaves and twigs. Voice: A sweet, high pitched, warbling call of varying length. Sometimes a short call of three notes preceding the main song. Breeding: August-December. Three to five eggs, pinkish white with reddish brown spots. General: The most preferred host of the shining cuckoo. A similar warbler on the Chatham Islands is regarded as a separate species. For me summer wouldnt be summer without the lovely song of this little bird.Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
WHITEHEAD (Popokatea) Mohoua albicilla Size: 15cm.Status: Fairly common. Range: Southern two thirds of the north Island, Great Barrier, Little Barrier and Kapiti Islands. Habitat: Native and exotic pine forests up to about 1200m. Food: Insects, particularly from the forest canopy, and fruits. Voice: The song has a similarity to the opening notes of a chaffinch song. Also single zit note or several in succession. Breeding: October-February. Two to four eggs, white or pinkish with brown, reddish brown or red spots or blotches. General: Usually moves about the forest in small groups. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
YELLOWHEAD (Mohua) Mohoua ochrocephala Size: 15cm.Status: Fairly common. Range: Nelson, Westland, Western Otago and Southland. Habitat: The more extensive areas of native forest, particularly beech forest. Food: Insects, found mainly in the tree canopy. Voice: Canary-like musical whistles often including buzzing and vibrating notes. Breeding: November-December. Three to four eggs, pinkish white blotched with reddish brown. General: Usually moves in small flocks through the forest canopy. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
FANTAIL (Piwakawaka) Rhipidura fuliginosa Size: 16cm.Status: Common. Range: Throughout the main islands and off-shore islands. Also Australia and the Pacific. Habitat: Forests of all types and many man-made environments providing trees and shrubs. Food: Insects caught in the air during short erratic flights. Voice: Usual call a high-pitched, repeated cheet. A succession of these with variations produce its full song. Breeding: August-January. Three to four eggs, cream with grey and brown spots. General: North Island, South Island and Chatham Island subspecies. A black form is common in the South Island subspecies. These dainty little birds appear in most gardens as long as there are trees and shrubs. They will flit a few feet from your face, tails extended and catching insects as they fly, and seem almost to be flirting with you. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
TIT (Miromiro) Petroica Macrocephala Size: 13cm.Status: Fairly common. Range: Throughout main islands and some off-shore and outlying islands. Habitat: Native and exotic forests. Food: Insects obtained from tree trunks and branches and the forest floor. Voice: Male a high-pitched swee, female a faint seet. Song a high-pitched trill weedli-weedli-weedli. Breeding: August-February. (Usually two broods reared.) Three to four eggs, cream with yellowish and purplish brown spots. General: There are five subspecies: North Island, South Island, Chatham Island, Auckland Island and Snares Island. North Island male has pure white underparts and the female greyish-white underparts. The South and Chatham Islands birds have yellowish breast and abdomen. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
SILVEREYE (Tauhou) Zosterops lateralis Size: 12cm.Status: Common. Range: Throughout main islands and many off-shore and outlying islands. Also Australia. Habitat: Native and exotic forests to some extent but mainly open country with some tree cover. Food: Insects, fruit and nectar. Voice: A warbling, continuous song made up of trills, slurs, and other high-pitched notes. A common flocking call is cree. Breeding: August-February. Two, sometimes three broods in a season. Three to four pale blue eggs. General: Has become common only in the last hundred years. This tiny, charming bird can be lured into your garden if you hang up a ball of lard or dripping for them during the winter. We hang one a few feet from our kitchen window and are well-rewarded for our pains. The birds hang upside down on the netting that contains the fat and sometimes hover like humming-birds (though only for a few seconds). Their antics are highly entertaining. They disappear during the summer, unfortunately. Partially protected (may be hunted or killed by an occupier of land only when causing damage on that land). RETURN TO LIST |
ROBIN (Toutouwai) Petroica australis Size: 18cm.Status: Fairly common. Range: Central and southern North Island, South Island, Stewart Island and some off-shore islands. Habitat: Native and exotic forests and scrub land. Food: Insects. Voice: A strong twit-twit-twit repeated many times, and a wide variety of other musical and chirping notes. Breeding: August-February. Two to four eggs, cream with purplish brown spots. General: North Island and Stewart Island birds have ivory white underparts. South Island birds are slightly larger and have a yellowish breast. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
STITCHBIRD (Hihi) Notiomystis cincta Size: 19cm.Status: Rare. Range: Little Barrier Island. Habitat: Native forest. Food: Nectar, fruit and insects. Voice: A musical tsui-tsui and an explosive tzit. Alarm call pek-pek-pek something like the bellbirds. Breeding: November-December. Three to five white eggs. General: Once quite common in the North Island but not seen there since the 1880s. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
BELLBIRD Anthornis melanura Size: 20cm.Status: Common. Range: Throughout main islands and many off-shore islands. Habitat: Native forest and scrubland, also exotic forests and exotic vegetation in the neighbourhood of native forest. Food: Nectar, fruit and insects. Voice: A wide variety of liquid notes, clicks and other sounds of a bell-like quality. Sometimes an often-repeated single bell note. Alarm call a repeated, harsh pek-pek-pek. Breeding: September-January. Three to four eggs, pinkish brown spots and blotches. General: A slightly different form occurs on the Three Kings Islands. We know of people near where we live who have been able to attract the bellbird to their properties, but we just dont have the right type of trees. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
TUI Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae Size: Male 32cm, female 29cm.Status: Common. Range: Throughout main islands and many off-shore and outlying islands. Habitat: Native forest, particularly podocarp and broadleaf, and exotic vegetation adjacent to native forest. Food: Nectar, fruit and insects. Voice: Song resembles bellbirds but is stronger and more resonant. Alarm call is a harsh, repeated keer-keer. Breeding: November-January. Three to four eggs, white or pale pink with reddish brown specks or blotches. General: A subspecies on the Chatham Islands is slightly larger. The tui is easy to attract into your garden, provided you have enough surrounding trees. In Auckland we planted a kowhai tree and some native flax specially to attract tuis and there was nearly always one sitting on top of the liquidamber while I was hanging out my washing. In June (which is winter time in New Zealand) when the flowering pink gum was in bloom they would hang upside down in its branches digging into the flowers for their nectar. Unfortunately we dont have enough trees around our present property, even though we have several clumps of flax. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
SADDLEBACK (Tieke)Philesturnus carunculatus Size: Male 25cm, female 29cm.Status: Rare. Range: North Island subspecies: Tiritiri Matangi, Hen, Cuvier, Red Mercury, Middle Chicken, Big Chicken and Fanal Islands. South Island subspecies: Kaimohu, Big, Betsy, Womens and north Islands (off Stewart Island). Habitat: Native forest. Food: Insects and fruits. Voice: Flute-like whistles and warbles, clicking and organ-like notes. A common call is che-per-per. Breeding: October-January. Eggs pale grey or white with reddish brown and pale purple spots or blotches. General: Once widely distributed on the main islands but range diminished to Hen Island in the north and Big South Cape Island group in the south by the end of the last century. Extension of range in recent years has been through transfers by the Wildlife Service. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
KOKAKO Callaeas Cinerea Size: 37cm.Status: Fairly rare. Range: North Auckland and central North Island; possibly a few scattered localities in the South Island. Habitat: Native forest with a more or less continuous canopy, particularly where there is emergent podocarps in the North Island. Food: Leaves, flowers and fruits. Voice: A variety of rich organ-like notes and bell-like calls. Calls are usually of descending pitch. The alarm call is rather similar to the tuis. Breeding: November-March. Two to three eggs, pale brownish-grey with brown and purplish brown spots and blotches. General: Once widely distributed, the kokako has declined considerably in the last hundred years. The South Island subspecies, which has orange wattles, has rarely been seen in recent years. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
NEW ZEALAND THRUSH (Piopio) Turnagra capensis Size: 27cm.Status: Very rare, possibly extinct. Range: Uncertain. Habitat: Native forest. Food: Fruits, seeds, foliage and insects. Voice: A short, sharp, whistling cry, quickly repeated, pio-pio. Alarm call is a loud pek-pek-pek-pek, resembling a bellbirds, but slower, louder and harsher. Breeding: Little available information. Two eggs, white or pinkish white with scattered black or brown spots. General: North and South Island birds are regarded as separate subspecies. Neither has been seen in recent years. Fully protected. RETURN TO LIST |
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