New Zealand - a beautiful nation of birds

Before the arrival of the early Maori and European settlers the country was a winged paradise, where birds had been allowed to flourish due to the lack of natural predators. With the introduction of hundreds of foreign species, New Zealand’s bird population has come under ferocious attack, with several species of bird now critically endangered.

Take the opportunity to visit one of the fantastic bird and animal sanctuaries in New Zealand, see if you can spot some of our favourite feathered friends, and learn about the conservation efforts that are happening across the country to save these beautiful creatures from extinction.

Learn a little more about some of New Zealand’s endangered bird species right now:

Kakapo: critically endangered

The kakapo, a nocturnal, moss-green parrot, is a flightless bird native to New Zealand. After the being hunted to near extinction by foreign predators in the 1990s, the entire kakapo population was transferred to a number of predator-free New Zealand islands, including Codfish Island, Maud Island and Little Barrier Island. Thanks to conservation efforts, the population has grown from just 50 kakapo to 154 (as of June 2017).

Kea: nationally endangered

A large, curious bird, the kea is the only true alpine parrot in the world. With a strong attraction to people and their things (kea have been known to peck the rubber seals of car doors), kea live in monogamous relationships and are highly intelligent. With a population of between 3,000 and 7,000 birds, the kea have come under threat due to predation from stoats, cats and other introduced mammals. Visitors are discouraged from feeding the kea as conservationists attempt to draw them away from populated areas where they are at greater risk of predation.

Kiwi: nationally endangered

The ever-popular kiwi bird has become the international symbol for New Zealand and is a favourite among visitors. A unique bird, the kiwi is a curious, nocturnal animal that is difficult to spot in the wild. A number of different species of kiwi can be found throughout the country including the little spotted Kiwi, the brown kiwi, the great spotted kiwi, the Rowi and the Tokoeka. These flightless ground-dwellers are vulnerable to stoats, dogs and other mammals, and have been the subject of wide-spread conservation efforts. In predator controlled areas, the number of kiwi are now slowly increasing once more, however the natural population in uncontrolled areas is still seeing a significant decline.

Visit these sanctuaries to see the birds and learn about New Zealand’s conservation efforts:

Rainbow Springs Nature Park

Zealandia: Karori Wildlife Sanctuary 

Kiwi Birdlife Park 

Willowbank Wildlife Reserve 

Pukaha Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre 

Tiritiri Matangi Open Sanctuary

Orokonui Ecosanctuary