NEW ZEALAND

NEW ZEALAND started separating from a larger continent, Gondwana, about 85 million years ago. Since then it has evolved in isolation from other land masses and as a result, developed a unique flora and fauna, including birds not seen anywhere else.

The Kiwi is the National Bird of New Zealand - photo by Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust
Kiwi, National Bird of New Zealand
Here are some BIRD RESOURCES for New Zealand:

www.albatrossencounter.co.nz (private sea tours in Kaikoura for seabirds)
www.nzbirds.com
www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz (provide lots of info + dozens of photos on each bird)
www.osnz.org.nz (The Ornithological Society of New Zealand)
www.planetofbirds.com/

The COMMON BRUSHTAIL POSSUM problem: New Zealand has a serious environmental problem with this possum, which was introduced to the country from Australia in the 1850s. This animal species is destroying forests and decimating native bird species. It is also an agricultural pest as it is a host for bovine tuberculosis. There are several measures in place to manage and control its population.

Below is the LIST OF BIRDS that were photographed in New Zealand during a trip in 2013. Three species from Australia are also added - they were photographed at the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. You can click on the links to access the bird's profile page. All the species listed were observed in easily accessible public places such as gardens, parks, and trails.

The only exception are the birds photographed at sea in KAIKOURA. Those birds were photographed and filmed during a chartered birding tour.

AUSTRALIAN WHITE IBIS (Threskiomis moluccus) (photographed in Sydney, Australia)
BLACK-BILLED GULL (Chroicocephalus buller)
BLACK-FRONTED DOTTERELElseyornis melanops)
BLUE PENGUIN(Eudyptula minor)
CALIFORNIA QUAIL (Callipepla californica)
CANADA GOOSE (Branta canadensis)
CAPE PETREL (Daption capense)
COMMON BLACKBIRD (Turdus merula)
DUSKY MOORHEN (Gallinula tenebrosa) (photographed in Sydney, Australia)
GREAT CORMORANT (Phalocrocorax carbo)
GREYLAG GOOSE (Anser anser
HOUSE SPARROW (Passer domesticus)
MALLARD (Anas platyrhynchos)
MASKED LAPWING (Vanellus miles) (photographed in Sydney, Australia)
NEW ZEALAND PIGEON (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae)
PARADISE SHELDUCK (Tadorna variegata)
PIED SHAG (Phalocrocorax varius)
PUKEKO (Porphyrio melanotus)
RED-BILLED GULL (Chroicocephalus scopulinus)
SALVIN’S ALBATROSS (Thalassarche salvini)
SOOTY SHEARWATER (Puffinus griseus)
SOUTH ISLAND OYSTERCATCHER (Haematopus finschi)
SOUTHERN BLACK-BACKED GULL (Larus dominicanus)
SOUTHERN GIANT PETREL (Macronectes giganteus)
SOUTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS (Diomedea epomophora)
SPOTTED SHAG (Phalacrocorax punctatus)
TUI BIRD (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae)
VARIABLE OYSTERCATCHER (Haematopus unicolor)
WANDERING ALBATROSS (Diomeda exulans)
WHITE-CHINNED PETREL (Procellaria aequinoctialis)
WHITE-FACED HERON (Egretta novaehollandiae)