New Zealand Birds – Index of Species
New Zealand is an island in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island), as well as numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island / Rakiura and the Chatham Islands.
The Realm of New Zealand also includes the Cook Islands and Niue; Tokelau; and the Ross Dependency.
New Zealand has a distinctive fauna dominated by birds – a number of which became extinct after the arrival of humans and the mammals they introduced. Its diverse range of megafauna includes the flightless kiwi, the kakapo and the takah?, all highly to critically endangered. Unique birds capable of flight included the Haast’s eagle, which was the world’s largest bird of prey (now extinct), and the large k?k? and kea parrots.
Birds found in New Zealand
- Parrots / Parakeets
- Birds of Prey / Raptors / Owls
- Doves / Pigeons
- Birds Associated with Waters (Waders, Seabirds, Wetlands, Lakes / Rivers): Listing / Photos
Forest / Landbirds
Photos of Forest / Landbirds
Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae)
Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) – Range: Introduced into New Zealand
Blackbird or Common Blackbird (Turdus merula) – Range: Introduced to New Zealand
Black-tailed Native-hen (Gallinula ventralis)
Brown Creeper (Mohoua novaeseelandiae) aka Pipipi – Range: South Island of New Zealand
Brown Quail aka Swamp Quail (Coturnix ypsilophora) – Range: Introduced to New Zealand
California Quail (Callipepla californica) aka California Valley Quail or Valley Quail – Range: Introduced into New Zealand
Chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs)
Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae) – Vagrant in New Zealand
Chatham Islands Raven (C. moriorum) (prehistoric)
Chukar (Alectoris chukar)
Common Myna or Indian or Talking Myna (Acridotheres tristis) – Range: Self-introduced in New Zealand
Common or European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris(Sturnus vulgaris) – Rare/Accidental
European Starling or Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) – Range: Introduced to New Zealand
Fan-tailed Cuckoos (Cacomantis flabelliformis)
Fernbird (Bowdleria punctata)
Grey Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa), known by its Maori name, Piwakawaka or Tiwakawaka)
Horsfield’s Cuckoo or Oriental Cuckoos (Cuculus optatus) – Range: Rare visitor
Huia / Wattlebirds (Heteralocha acutirostris) – an extinct species
K?kako (Callaeas cinerea)
Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) – Range: Kawau Island
Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis cabaret) – Introduced Species
Long-tailed Cuckoo (Eudynamys taitensis), also known as the Long-tailed Koel or the Koekoe? – Range: New Zealand, and migrates to the islands of the western Pacific in the winter
Masked Woodswallow (Artamus personatus) is found in subtropical or tropical dry forests in New Zealand.
Mynas (Sturnidae) – Range: Introduced to New Zealand
New Zealand Bellbird (Anthoris melanura)
New Zealand Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa)
New Zealand Raven (C. antipodum) (prehistoric)
New Zealand Robin or Toutouwai (M?ori), (Petroica australis) – Range: South Island and Stewart Island, New Zealand
Norfolk Island Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis xanthoprocta)
Norfolk Island Pacific Robin (Petroica multicolor multicolor), also known as the Norfolk Island Scarlet Robin or Norfolk Island Robin
Pallid Cuckoo (Cuculus pallidus)
Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) – Range: Established itself in New Zealand.
Rock Partridge (Alectoris graeca) – Range: Introduced into New Zealand.
Rook (Corvus frugilegus) / Crow Family – Range: Introduced to New Zealand
Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus) – Range: Found in the mangroves, forests, and river valleys of New Zealand
Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucidus / Chalcites lucidus)
Silvereye or Wax-eye (Zosterops lateralis)
Stitchbird or Hihi (Notiomystis cincta) – Range: New Zealand – became extinct on the mainland and survives only on offshore refuges, though a small population was established in Karori Wildlife Sanctuary (near Wellington)
Tieke or Saddleback (Philesturnus carunculatus)
Tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae)
Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena) – Native
Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) – Range: Introduced to New Zealand