Native birds in New Zealand

Kiwi

The Kiwi is the most famous native bird in New Zealand. This is because it is a national icon and the residents of New Zealand are also referred to as Kiwis. The Kiwi is a flightless bird, it has bad eyes, but a very strong sense of smell. These birds are not easily found in New Zealand. This is because the kiwi is critically endangered, but also because they are active at night and very shy. For many tourists, seeing a Kiwi is high on their list when going to New Zealand. Below I explain where these birds can be found in the wild and where they can be seen in captivity.

In the wild

The Kiwi lives in remote forest areas, usually in hollow trunks or other hollow areas. If you are going to be looking for the Kiwi yourself, make sure you are very quiet, the birds are very shy and noise scares them. In some places you can also do a paid night tour to look for the Kiwi together with experts, which increases the chance that you will see them. The best places to see them are:

• Kapiti Island
• Stewart Island
• Trounson Kauri Park (Northlands)
• Waipoua forest (Northlands)
• Arthur’s Pass (you hear them more here than you see them)

In captivity

The places I mention below are places where the Kiwi lives in captivity. The Kiwis are cared for so they can be released when they are healthy or they are kept in areas with enough space to live in, such as Zealandia. This is a huge reserve where many native animals live in the “wild”. You can take an evening tour to look for Kiwis, among other animals. Other reserves where you can see the kiwi:

• Kiwi House (Northlands)
• Willowbank (Christchurch)
• Tongariro Forest Kiwi Sanctuary (Near Taupo)
• Orokonui Ecosanctuary (Dunedin)

Tui

The Tui is another well-known bird in New Zealand. This bird is mainly known for the sounds they make, which are very unusual. People describe the sound as whistling, cackling, gargling, coughing, growling or squeaking. These clever birds can also mimic the sound of other birds. The Tui can be recognised by the white feathers on their throat, besides that they are mainly black. These birds are common in New Zealand and you can see and hear them in many places.

Kea

You may have heard of the Kea, they are clever birds that are known to bother people. The Kea is a parrot that only lives on the South Island of New Zealand. It is the only parrot species living in alpine areas. They are often spotted in ski areas, but also on the route to Milford Sound. In addition to being smart, these birds are also very curious. As a result, they have learned new “skills” to survive, such as opening doors and windows to get food from houses. They also like to attack cars, pull on antennas and peck at the rubber of the car doors. They are beautiful animals to see in the wild, especially when you see them flying (the underside of their wings is a beautiful orange). But be careful, make sure your belongings are properly stored and absolutely do not feed them. Food that we eat is not good for them and can make them very sick.

New Zealand Bellbird

The (New Zealand) Bellbird or Korimako, as the Maori call them is common on both the North and South Island. It is a small bird with a green breast. These birds like to eat honey, as well as fruits and insects. The Bellbirds have a nice sound that differs per location where they live.

Tomtit

There are five subspecies of the Tomtit in New Zealand, all of which have the name of the area where they live. You have the North Island, South Island, Snare Islands, Chatham Islands and the Auckland Islands Tomtits. These birds can be found in many places in New Zealand. The Tomtit is a small bird of only 13 centimeters with a large head. The North Island Tomtit has a black head with a white breast, while the South Island Tomtit has a yellow and white breast. All species have a white dot behind their wings.

Weka

The Weka is another native New Zealand bird that cannot fly. The Weka is the size of a chicken and has caramel with black striped feathers. They have a strong beak, sturdy dinosaur-like legs, and red eyes. This bird is often mistaken for a Kiwi by tourists, but they are very different. Unlike the Kiwi, the Weka is active during the day. The Kiwi is very shy, while the Weka, on the other hand, likes to steal things from people. You often hear that they have taken phones, chips, underwear or even shoes. They also like to get involved in gardening, they are happy to take freshly planted vegetables for their own use.

The North Island Weka is not very common, but it lives in Auckland, Northlands, Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Wellington. The Weka that you can see most easily is the Western Weka as there are way more of them. This Weka lives on the west coast of the South Island, in Abel Tasman, West Coast and Fiordland. Stewart Island has its own type of Weka: the Stewart Island Weka.

Kaka

The Kaka is a parrot that lives high in the trees. These parrots live on both the North and South Island as well as other NZ islands. The Kaka is similar in size to the Kea but has a different color and they live in different areas. The Kaka has brown / olive-colored feathers with a red bottom. Of the Kaka there are also subspecies such as the North Island Kaka and South Island Kaka. A decline in numbers can be seen in both species due to forest clearing and predators. The North Island Kaka can be seen in the Little and Great Barrier Islands, Kapiti Islands and in Wellington. They were released from Zealandia in 2001 and have been living in Wellington ever since. The South Island of Kaka can be seen in Nelson, the West Coast, Fiordland and Stewart Island.

Kakapo

The Kakapo is also a parrot. This bird is also called the strangest parrot in the world. This parrot cannot fly, has a head like an owl, walks like a duck and is the fattest parrot in the world. The Kakapo is critically endangered and by 1995 there were only about 50 of them left in New Zealand. The birds were then moved to disease and pest free islands in New Zealand where they were able to reproduce again. They now live on about five islands: Codfish, Maud, Little Barrier, Chakly and Anchor Island.