Tauhou
Silvereye Blue-wattled crow
Zosterops lataralis Latham 1802
Length: 12 cm
Weight: 13 g
The silvereye colonised New Zealand from Australia in the
1850s, and is now one of New Zealand’s most abundant and
widespread bird species. It is found throughout New Zealand
and its offshore and outlying islands, occurring in most
vegetated habitats, including suburban gardens, farmland,
orchards, woodlands and forests. Silvereyes are small
songbirds that are easily recognised by their conspicuous
white eye-ring; their plumage is mainly olive-green above and
cream below. It is an active, mobile species that moves about
frequently, including making sea crossings.
New Zealand status: Native
Takahe
Porphyrio mantelli Owen 1848
Weight: 3kg
New Zealand status: Extinct
Warou
Welcome Swallow
Hirundo neoxena Gould 1842
Length: 14 - 16 cm
Weight: 9 - 20 g
Welcome swallows are small fast-flying birds found in open country
particularly around lakes, coasts, riverbeds and ponds. Their flight is
circular and darting in style, and they may be seen singly, in pairs or
in flocks. Flocks often perch en masse, lined up on fences or power
lines. They were named ‘welcome swallows’ because they appeared
in southern Australia as a herald of spring. Due to their elegant shape
and flight, and their preference for nesting around buildings,
swallows are noticed and appreciated more than most other small
birds.
New Zealand status: Native
Kokako
Callaeas wilsoni Bonaparte 1851
Length: 38 cm
Weight: 233 g (male), 218 g (female)
With their extraordinary haunting song, and obscure
evolutionary relationships to other birds, kokako evoke the
forests of ancient New Zealand/Aotearoa perhaps more than
any other species. More likely to be heard than seen, North
Island kokako have persisted in small populations particularly
in the central North Island from the King Country through to
Te Urewera. They typically inhabit tall native forest
dominated by tawa (Beilschmiedia tawa), singing from tree-
tops but often feeding in understorey layers.
New Zealand status: Endemic
Mohua
Yellowhead
Mohoua ochrocephala Gmelin 1789
Length: 15 cm
Weight: 30 g (male); 26 g (female)
Yellowheads are sparrow-sized, yellow-headed forests songsters.
They were once one of the most common and conspicuous birds of
South and Stewart Island forests, but have been gradually declining
since the arrival of ship rats and stoats in New Zealand. Since the
1970s their range contraction has been dramatic, with many of the
small scattered populations disappearing. Today they remain
common in beech forests in parts of the Catlins, the Blue Mountains,
the Dart and Landsborough Valleys, with scattered small
populations in eastern Fiordland, west Otago and a small remnant
population in North Canterbury. They have been introduced to
several predator-free southern islands where they have mostly
flourished.
New Zealand status: Endemic
Tui
Koko
Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae Gmelin 1788
Length: 30 cm
Weight: 125 g (male); 90 g (female)
Tui are boisterous, medium-sized, common and widespread bird of
forest and suburbia – unless you live in Canterbury. They look black
from a distance, but in good light tui have a blue, green and bronze
iridescent sheen, and distinctive white throat tufts (poi). They are
usually very vocal, with a complicated mix of tuneful notes
interspersed with coughs, grunts and wheezes. In flight, their bodies
slant with the head higher than the tail, and their noisy whirring
flight is interspersed with short glides.
New Zealand status: Endemic
 Kaka
Bush Parrot Kea
Nestor meridionalis Gmelin 1788 Mountain Parrot
Length: 38 - 44 cm Nestor notabilis Gould 1856
Weight: 340 - 400 g Length: 46 cm

Generally heard before they are seen, kaka are large, forest-dwelling parrots
that are found on all three main islands of New Zealand and on several
offshore islands. Much reduced in range and abundance in the North and
South islands due to forest clearance and predation by introduced mammals,
kaka are most abundant on offshore islands that have no introduced mammals,
or at least no stoats. They remain locally common at some sites on the main
islands that are close to offshore island refuges, and have increased in
abundance at others where mammalian pests have been controlled. Kaka can
be found in a wide variety of native forest types including podocarp and beech
forest. They are a common sight in Wellington city, having spread from
Zealandia / Karori Sanctuary.
New Zealand status: Endemic
Weight: 900 - 1100 g (male), 700 - 900 g (female)
The kea is an unusual parrot. It is the only truly alpine parrot in the
world, and gained early notoriety among settler farmers for attacks
on their sheep. Innately curious, kea are attracted to people wherever
they enter its mountain domain, and are a feature at South Island ski-
fields and mountain huts. Their attraction to people and their
paraphernalia is a two-edged sword, providing both new threats and
new opportunities.
New Zealand status: Endemic

Brown Kiwi
Kingfisher
Apteryx mantelli Bartlett 1852
Kotare
Length: 40 cm Todiramphus sanctus 1827
Weight: 2 kg (male), 2.7 kg (female) Length: 23 cm
The only kiwi in the wild in the North Island. Widespread in native Weight: 55 g
forest and scrub, pine forests, rough farmland from sea level to 1400
m north of the Manawatu Gorge. Flightless, with tiny vestigial wings Kingfishers are found widely in New Zealand in a wide range of
and no tail. Nocturnal, therefore more often heard than seen. Male habitats: the key ingredients are elevated observation posts to hunt
gives a repeated high-pitched ascending whistle, female gives a from, banks or suitable standing trees to excavate nests in, and open
deeper throaty cry. Dark brown, streaked lengthways with reddish or semi-open habitats which support a range of prey items.
brown and black. Feather tips feel spiky. Long pale bill, short dark New Zealand status: Native
legs and toes, often with dark claws.
New Zealand status: Endemic

California Quail
Callipepla californica 1798
Length: 25 cm
Weight: 145 - 210 g
California quail are small, plump introduced game birds. They are
common in open shrublands throughout most of the country. The
male has a striking black face bordered with white, and a conspicuous
top-knot or plume. The female is duller in colour with a less obvious
plume. The young are numerous and able to fly at a young age, but
have a low survival rate. In autumn, quail gather in large coveys to
feed and roost together. The male call, often represented as ‘Chi-ca-
go’, is distinctive and diagnostic.
New Zealand status: Introduced
Eastern Rosella
Platycercus eximius 1792
Length: 30 cm
Weight: 90 - 120 g
The eastern rosella is a brightly coloured, broad-tailed parakeet
native to south-eastern Australia. It was introduced to New Zealand
in the early 1900s, and is now common over much of the North
Island, with a smaller population centred on Dunedin. They typically
move around the landscape in pairs or small flocks, often given
away by their noisy chatter or loud, in-flight alarm call.
New Zealand status: Introduced
 Ngiru-ngiru
New Zealand Tomtit / miromiro
Petroica macrocephala 1789
Length: 13 cm
Weight: 11 g
The tomtit is a forest and shrubland inhabiting species of both native and
exotic habitats. It is rarely seen in highly modified open habitats, such as
farmland and suburbia. Tomtits have a widespread distribution through the
North and South Islands, and occur on some of their offshore islands, Stewart
Island, Chatham Islands, Snares Islands and Auckland Islands. Most
populations are dimorphic, males being mainly black-and-white, and females
mainly brown-and-white. They are often heard giving contact calls or males
singing, but are sometimes difficult to see. Individuals can be quite confiding,
coming within a few metres.
New Zealand status: Endemic
Piwakawaka
Fantail
Rhipidura fuliginosa 1787
Length: 16 cm
Weight: 8 g
The fantail is one of New Zealand’s best known birds, with its distinctive
fanned tail and loud song, and particularly because it often approaches within
a metre or two of people. Its wide distribution and habitat preferences,
including frequenting well-treed urban parks and gardens, means that most
people encounter fantails occasionally. They can be quite confiding,
continuing to nest build or visit their nestlings with food when people watch
quietly. There are two colour forms or ‘morphs’ of fantail, with the more
common pied morph occurring throughout its range, and the black morph
comprising up to 5% of the South Island population, and occasionally
occurring in the North Island.
New Zealand status: Endemic
Karearea
NZ Falcon / bush hawk
Falco novaeseelandiae 1788
Length: 40 - 50 cm
Weight: 205 - 340 g (male), 420 - 740 g (female)
The New Zealand falcon is a magpie-sized raptor that feeds predominantly on
live prey. Adapted to hunt within the dense New Zealand forests they are also
found in more open habitats such as tussocklands and roughly grazed hill
country. More recently they have been discovered breeding in exotic pine
plantations. Laying their eggs in simple scrapes they can nest in a variety of
locations, from within the epiphytes that grow in large trees, to on the ground
under small rocky outcrops. Where they nest on the ground they are well
known for attacking intruders, including humans, with aggressive dive-
bombing strikes to the head.
New Zealand status: Endemic
Ruru
Morepork
Ninox novaeseelandiae 1788
Length: 29 cm
Weight: 175 g
The morepork is a small, dark, forest-dwelling owl. Found in both
native and plantation forests, its distinctive “more-pork” call is
commonly heard at night in many urban parks and well-vegetated
suburbs. Moreporks are relatively common throughout much of New
Zealand but are sparse through the eastern and central South Island.
Their diet consists of insects, small mammals and birds, which it
hunts at night.
New Zealand status: Native
Toutouwai
New Zealand Robin
Petroica longipes 1827
Length: 18 cm
Weight: 35 g
The North Island robin occurs in forest and scrub habitats. It can be
recognised by its erect stance and relatively long legs, and spends
much time foraging on the ground. It is a territorial species, males in
particular inhabiting the same patch of mainland forest of 1-5 ha
throughout their lives. Male are great songsters, particularly
bachelors, singing loudly and often for many minutes at a time.
Where robins are regularly exposed to people, such as along public
walking tracks, they become quite confiding, often approaching to
within a metre of a person sitting quietly. Naïve juveniles will
sometimes stand on a person’s boot.
New Zealand status: Endemic
Kereru
Wood pigeon
Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae 1789
Length: 50 cm
Weight: 630 g
This large and distinctively-coloured pigeon is a familiar sight to many New
Zealanders. This is because the New Zealand pigeon (or kereru) has a
widespread distribution through the country, being present in extensive tracts
of native forest, and rural and urban habitats, including most cities. As well
as allowing close approach, it often roosts conspicuously, such as on
powerlines or on the tops of trees. The distinctive sound of its wing beats in
flight also draws attention. Kereru also frequently feature on works of art,
such as paintings and sculptures. However, even though it is widespread, like
many forest birds its abundance is severely compromised by introduced
mammals, particularly possums, stoats and ship rats. Only where these pests
are not present (predator-free islands) or are controlled to low levels do
kereru populations thrive.
New Zealand status: Endemic
 Dunnock Bellbird
Hedge Sparrow Korimako
Prunella modularis 1758 Makomako
Length: 14 cm Anthornis melanura 1786
Length: 20 cm
Weight: 21 g
Dunnocks are small brown songbirds that were introduced from Weight: 34 g (male); 26 g (female)
England into multiple regions of New Zealand between 1865 and
Bellbirds are the most widespread and familiar honeyeater in the South
1896. They are a common sight in urban gardens and open country in Island, and are also common over much of the North Island. Their song is a
southern New Zealand, but are scarcer in the northern North Island. welcome sound in mainland forests that otherwise may have little native bird
The drab appearance of dunnocks is compensated by their stunningly song. Although they have a brush-like tongue which is used to reach deeply
complex breeding behaviours. into flowers to reach nectar, bellbirds also feed on fruits and insects. In
New Zealand status: Introduced feeding on nectar they play an important ecological role in pollinating the
flowers of many native trees and shrubs. Subsequently, when feeding on the
fruits that result from this pollination they have a role in dispersing the seeds,
and so they assist in the regeneration of the forest in at least two ways.
New Zealand status: Endemic

Song Thrush
Chaffinch Turdus philomelos 1831
Pahirini
Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus 1758 Length: 21 -23 cm
Length: 14.5 cm Weight: 70 g
The song thrush is easily recognised by its speckled brown-on-cream breast.
Weight: 17.5 - 24.5 g It is often heard before it is seen, as it is one of the main songsters of
suburban New Zealand, with a very long singing season. Thrushes sing from
Chaffinches are the commonest and most widespread of New a high branch, at the top of a tree or on power poles and lines. Their
Zealand’s introduced finches, and are found in a wide range of distinctive song comprising a wide range of notes, with each phrase typically
habitats from sea-level to 1400 m. They are self-introduced to repeated 2-3 times in succession. They are common throughout mainland
many off-shore islands. Chaffinches frequently visit suburban New Zealand and nearby offshore islands, also Stewart Island, Chatham
Islands, Snares Islands and Auckland Islands. Thrushes frequent a wide
gardens, especially in winter, and are often seen feeding with range of lowland and hilly habitats including suburban gardens, farmland,
house sparrows and silvereyes around bird-tables, on lawns woodlands and some forests. They feed mostly on the ground on earthworms
and in parks. and snails, also insects and berries. Song thrushes were introduced from
New Zealand status: Introduced England, and were released widely in New Zealand from 1867. New
Zealand status: Introduced

Goldfinch
Carduelis Linnaeus 1758
Length: 12 cm
Weight: 15 g
Similar species: European greenfinch
Goldfinches are small finches with flashes of bright yellow
and red, common in open country throughout New Zealand.
Introduced from Britain 1862-1883, their tinkling calls
contribute to the collective noun “a charm of goldfinches”.
They are mainly seed-eaters, and often gather in flocks to feed
on thistle seed. Goldfinches frequently stray to outlying island
groups, and are resident on the Chatham Islands..
New Zealand status: Introduced
European Greenfinch
Carduelis chloris Linnaeus 1758
Length: 16 cm
Weight: 28 g
Similar species: Bellbird, Silvereye, House sparrow.
Greenfinches are the largest and most stockily built of New
Zealand’s introduced finches. A heavy bill allows the bird to
crack larger seeds than other species can manage. They were
introduced from Britain by Acclimatisation Societies between
1862 and 1868, and are now common throughout much of the
mainland. Greenfinches feed mostly on seeds, including those
from a number of crops; therefore they are regarded as a pest
in some districts. Large flocks are frequent outside the
breeding season, often mixed with other species of finches.
New Zealand status: Introduced

Starling
Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus 1758
Length: 21 cm. Weight: 85 g
Starlings from Europe were introduced for insect control to North
America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and are still
spreading at 22 km/year in Argentina. They have iridescent purple
and green feathers tipped with white spots, but appear black at a
distance. Large flocks roost communally at traditional sites, spreading
out to pasture and urban feeding grounds each day. One of the
commonest garden birds, starlings are easily recognised by their
noisy, hyperactive behaviour. They are resident throughout New
Zealand on open country, including most offshore islands.
New Zealand status: Introduced
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus 1758
Length: 15 cm. Weight: 28 g
One of the world’s most successful introduced species, the house sparrow is
found from sub-Arctic to sub-Tropical regions everywhere, except Western
Australia and some small islands. It lives mostly in close association with
man. This ubiquity has led to many studies of it as a pest and of its
physiology, energetics, behaviour, genetics and evolution. There is even a
scientific journal devoted to work on the house sparrow and
other Passer species.
House sparrows were introduced to New Zealand first in the mid 1860s. They
soon became abundant and were said to be combating plagues of agricultural
pests. By the 1880s, however, they were regarded as pests. Sparrows have
made their own way to offshore islands, breeding on those with human
habitation. They have evolved differences in morphology in response to local
environments. The best source of information on sparrow biology is the
monograph by Summers-Smith, although adjustment for the six-month
difference in seasons is necessary.
New Zealand status: Introduced
Skylark
Kaireka
Alauda arvensis Linnaeus 1758
Length: 18 cm
Weight: 38 g
Eurasian skylarks are more often heard than seen. Their small size
and streaked brown plumage make them difficult to see on the
ground, but their vibrant aerial song quickly reveals their presence, a
song that has inspired poets and musicians for centuries. Skylarks
were introduced into New Zealand from England between 1864 and
1879, when more than 1000 birds were released. Birds from New
Zealand were released in turn on the Hawaiian Islands in 1870,
supplementing a population introduced there from England five years
earlier.
New Zealand status: Introduced
Blackbird
Turdus merula Linnaeus 1758
Length: 25 cm. Weight: 90 g
The Eurasian blackbird was introduced to New Zealand, and is now
our most widely distributed bird species. Adult males are entirely
black apart from their yellow bill and eye-ring. Females and
juveniles are mostly dark brown, slightly mottled on the belly.
Blackbirds are common in a wide range of habitats including
suburban gardens, farmland, woodlands and indigenous forests.
Their song is given from winter to summer, with the singing male
usually perched on a high branch, tree top or power line. They sing
most in the early morning and evening. Blackbirds feed mostly on
the ground on earthworms, snails, and insects. They also take berries
while perched in foliage.
New Zealand status: Introduced
Indian Myna
Acridotheres tristis 1766
Length: 24 cm. Weight: 125 g
The common myna is a native of India, east and west Pakistan and
Burma. It was introduced to many Pacific lands, including New
Zealand, usually to combat invertebrate pests. Mynas are large,
conspicuous passerines. A shiny black head and shoulder plumage
merges into vinous brown for the remainder of the body and a large
patch of white is flashed from each wing during flight. They are
commonly seen deftly avoiding traffic while foraging for road-killed
insects. At dusk small groups join communal roosts, which may
comprise many hundreds of individuals. Mynas, originally widely
introduced to New Zealand in the 1870s, are found in all suitable
manmade habitat north of 40° S, including forest remnants and
many offshore islands, but are in low numbers or absent from some
parts of the volcanic plateau and large forest tracts such as Urewera.
New Zealand status: Introduced
Lesser Redpoll
Carduelis flammea 1758
Length: 12 cm
Weight: 12 g
Common redpolls are small finches with a distinctive red patch on
the crown. They were introduced from Britain between 1862 and
1875, and are now common in hill-country throughout much of New
Zealand during the breeding season. Redpolls are frequently seen in
flocks interspersed with other finches in the lowlands in winter.
They feed mainly on a range of smaller seeds. These are frequently
taken while hanging upside-down from seed heads or the cones of
trees such as birch and alder.
any red on the
New Zealand status: Introduced

Rock Pigeon
Columba livia Gmelin 1789
Length: 31 - 34
Weight: 265 - 432 g
While rural birds are usually quite timid, flying off at close approach,
urban birds are often quite the opposite, walking about at one’s feet
and even alighting on people to take food. It is a gregarious species,
often roosting, commuting and foraging in flocks.
New Zealand status: Introduced
Australian Magpie
Makipae
Gymnorhina tibicen 1802
Length: 41 cm
Weight: 350 g
Similar species: Magpie-lark
The black-and-white Australian magpie is a common and
conspicuous inhabitant of open country throughout much of New
Zealand. It was introduced from Australia and Tasmania by
Acclimatisation Societies between 1864 and 1874, mainly to control
insect pests. There are three subspecies; the black-backed, and two
white-backed forms, with white-backed birds predominating in most
parts of New Zealand.
New Zealand status: Introduced
Common Pheasant
Ring-necked pheasant
Phasianus colchicus Linnaeus 1758
Length: 80 cm (male), 60 cm (female)
Weight: Up to 1.5 kg (male), 1.2 kg (female)
Acclimatisation Societies released about 30 species of upland game
birds throughout New Zealand, to provide sport for European
colonists. Common pheasants were among the first to be released, in
Wellington, Canterbury, Otago and Auckland from 1842-1877. They
are established throughout open country in the North Island, with
local populations topped up by ongoing releases by Fish & Game
Councils and private breeders. Numbers are lower in the South
Island. Hunting of pheasants and other game birds in New Zealand is
managed by Fish & Game New Zealand.
New Zealand status: Introduced
Pukeko
Purple swamphen
Porphyrio melanotus Temminck 1820
Length: 38 - 50 cm
Weight: 1090 g (male); 880 g (female)
The pukeko is a widespread and easily recognisable bird that has
benefitted greatly by the clearing of land for agriculture. In addition
to its brilliant red frontal shield and deep violet breast plumage, the
pukeko is interesting for having a complex social life. In many
areas, pukeko live in permanent social groups and defend a shared
territory that is used for both feeding and breeding. Social groups
can have multiple breeding males and females, but all eggs are laid
in a single nest and the group offspring are raised by all group
members.
New Zealand status: Native
Stitchbird / Hihi
Notiomystis cincta 1839
Length: 18 cm. Weight: 36.5 g (male); 30 g (female)
The stitchbird (hihi) was both rare and poorly known until the 1990s, as few
people had an opportunity to visit the single remnant population on Little
Barrier Island. However, thanks to successful conservation management and
research, the stitchbird is now one of the better studied New Zealand bird
species, and can be seen at several accessible translocation sites. Stitchbirds
are often curious, approaching people for close examination whilst emitting
warning calls; yet the calls’ high pitch, and the bird’s rapid movements and
colouration can make them hard to detect. Until 2006 the stitchbird was
considered to be a honeyeater (Family Meliphagidae), which includes tui and
bellbird and c.100 other Australasian and Pacific species. However, genetic
studies showed that the stitchbird belongs to a family of its own
(Notiomystidae), closest to the New Zealand wattlebirds (Callaeidae,
comprising huia, kokako and saddlebacks). The stitchbird has a complex and
unusual breeding system that includes pair and group nesting as well as
promiscuity. They use a variety of mating positions and strategies that, when
considered together, are unique in the bird world.
New Zealand status: Endemic
Weka / Woodhen
Gallirallus australis 1786
Length: 50 - 60 cm. Weight: 430 - 1400 g
The weka is one of New Zealand’s iconic large flightless birds. Likely
derived from a flighted ancestor, weka are 3-6 times larger than banded rails,
which are considered their nearest flying relatives. Weka are charismatic
birds that are often attracted to human activity. This makes an encounter with
a weka a wildlife highlight for many people, as the curious bird searches for
any food item that the intruder might bring. But people who live alongside
weka often have a less charitable opinion, as they have to live with ever-
watchful weka snatching opportunities to raid vegetable gardens, pilfer
poultry food and eggs, and even steal dog food from the bowl. Unfortunately
weka are not as robust as they appear, and have become extinct over large
tracts of the mainland. Causes of extinction are complex, and are likely to be
due to interactions between climatic conditions (especially drought) and
predator numbers (especially ferrets, stoats and dogs). Fortunately, weka still
thrive at many accessible sites, including on Kawau, Mokoia, Kapiti, Ulva
and Chatham Islands, the Marlborough Sounds, North Westland, and parts of
the Abel Tasman, Heaphy and Milford Tracks.
New Zealand status: Endemic