Birds of New Zealand

Every birds in the Wildlife of New Zealand guide: 251 species, grouped by family or group. Each name opens its page with photos, identification notes, habitat and range.

Kiwi

• North Island Brown Kiwi Apteryx mantelli
• Rowi Apteryx rowi
• Southern Brown Kiwi Apteryx australis
• Little Spotted Kiwi Apteryx owenii
• Great Spotted Kiwi Apteryx maxima

Parrots

• Kākāpō Strigops habroptilus
• Kākā Nestor meridionalis
• Kea Nestor notabilis
• Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita
• Galah Eolophus roseicapilla
• Eastern Rosella Platycercus eximius
• Red-crowned Parakeet Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae
• Yellow-crowned Parakeet Cyanoramphus auriceps
• Orange-fronted Parakeet Cyanoramphus malherbi
• Forbes' Parakeet Cyanoramphus forbesi
• Antipodes Island Parakeet Cyanoramphus unicolor
• Reischek's Parakeet Cyanoramphus hochstetteri

Wattlebirds & Forest Birds

• Rifleman Acanthisitta chloris
• Rock Wren Xenicus gilviventris
• Bellbird Anthornis melanura
• Tūī Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae
• Grey Warbler Gerygone igata
• Chatham Island Warbler Gerygone albofrontata
• North Island Kokako Callaeas wilsoni
• North Island Saddleback Philesturnus rufusater
• South Island Saddleback Philesturnus carunculatus
• Stitchbird Notiomystis cincta
• Whitehead Mohoua albicilla
• Yellowhead Mohoua ochrocephala
• Brown Creeper Mohoua novaeseelandiae
• Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae
• New Zealand Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa
• Tomtit Petroica macrocephala
• Black Robin Petroica traversi
• North Island Robin Petroica longipes
• South Island Robin Petroica australis
• Silvereye Zosterops lateralis

Rails, Crakes & Takahē

• Auckland Island Rail Lewinia muelleri
• Banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis
• Weka Gallirallus australis
• Spotless Crake Zapornia tabuensis
• Baillon's Crake Zapornia pusilla
• South-west Pacific Swamphen Porphyrio melanotus
• South Island Takahē Porphyrio hochstetteri
• Eurasian Coot Fulica atra

Penguins

• Eastern Rockhopper Penguin Eudyptes filholi
• Fiordland Crested Penguin Eudyptes pachyrhynchus
• Snares Crested Penguin Eudyptes robustus
• Erect-crested Penguin Eudyptes sclateri
• Yellow-eyed Penguin Megadyptes antipodes
• Little Penguin Eudyptula minor

Albatrosses

• Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans
• Antipodean Albatross Diomedea antipodensis
• Southern Royal Albatross Diomedea epomophora
• Northern Royal Albatross Diomedea sanfordi
• Indian Ocean Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche carteri
• Grey-headed Albatross Thalassarche chrysostoma
• Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris
• Campbell Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche impavida
• Buller's Albatross Thalassarche bulleri
• White-capped Albatross Thalassarche cauta
• Chatham Island Albatross Thalassarche eremita
• Salvin's Albatross Thalassarche salvini
• Light-mantled Sooty Albatross Phoebetria palpebrata

Petrels, Shearwaters & Storm Petrels

• Wilson's Storm Petrel Oceanites oceanicus
• Grey-backed Storm Petrel Garrodia nereis
• White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina
• Kermadec Storm Petrel Pelagodroma albiclunis
• White-bellied Storm Petrel Fregetta grallaria
• Black-bellied Storm Petrel Fregetta tropica
• New Zealand Storm Petrel Fregetta maoriana
• Southern Giant Petrel Macronectes giganteus
• Northern Giant Petrel Macronectes halli
• Antarctic Fulmar Fulmarus glacialoides
• Cape Petrel Daption capense
• Kerguelen Petrel Aphrodroma brevirostris
• Grey-faced Petrel Pterodroma gouldi
• White-headed Petrel Pterodroma lessonii
• Chatham Island Taiko Pterodroma magentae
• Kermadec Petrel Pterodroma neglecta
• Soft-plumaged Petrel Pterodroma mollis
• Mottled Petrel Pterodroma inexpectata
• White-naped Petrel Pterodroma cervicalis
• Black-winged Petrel Pterodroma nigripennis
• Chatham Petrel Pterodroma axillaris
• Cook's Petrel Pterodroma cookii
• Pycroft's Petrel Pterodroma pycrofti
• Gould's Petrel Pterodroma leucoptera
• Blue Petrel Halobaena caerulea
• Broad-billed Prion Pachyptila vittata
• Salvin's Prion Pachyptila salvini
• Antarctic Prion Pachyptila desolata
• Thin-billed Prion Pachyptila belcheri
• Fairy Prion Pachyptila turtur
• Fulmar Prion Pachyptila crassirostris
• White-chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis
• Westland Petrel Procellaria westlandica
• Black Petrel Procellaria parkinsoni
• Grey Petrel Procellaria cinerea
• Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica
• Buller's Shearwater Ardenna bulleri
• Short-tailed Shearwater Ardenna tenuirostris
• Sooty Shearwater Ardenna grisea
• Great Shearwater Ardenna gravis
• Flesh-footed Shearwater Ardenna carneipes
• Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia
• Hutton's Shearwater Puffinus huttoni
• Little Shearwater Puffinus assimilis
• Subantarctic Little Shearwater Puffinus elegans
• Common Diving Petrel Pelecanoides urinatrix
• South Georgian Diving Petrel Pelecanoides georgicus

Gannets, Shags & Tropicbirds

• Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda
• Australasian Gannet Morus serrator
• Masked Booby Sula dactylatra
• Little Pied Cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucos
• Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
• Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax varius
• Little Black Shag Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
• Spotted Shag Phalacrocorax punctatus
• Pitt Island Shag Phalacrocorax featherstoni
• New Zealand King Shag Leucocarbo carunculatus
• Otago Shag Leucocarbo chalconotus
• Foveaux Shag Leucocarbo stewarti
• Chatham Island Shag Leucocarbo onslowi
• Bounty Island Shag Leucocarbo ranfurlyi
• Auckland Island Shag Leucocarbo colensoi
• Campbell Island Shag Leucocarbo campbelli

Gulls, Terns & Skuas

• Southern Skua Stercorarius antarcticus
• South Polar Skua Stercorarius maccormicki
• Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus
• Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus
• Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus
• Brown Noddy Anous stolidus
• Black Noddy Anous minutus
• Grey Noddy Anous albivitta
• White Tern Gygis alba
• Silver Gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
• Black-billed Gull Chroicocephalus bulleri
• Southern Black-backed Gull Larus dominicanus
• Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus
• Little Tern Sternula albifrons
• Fairy Tern Sternula nereis
• Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
• Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
• White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias leucopterus
• Black-fronted Tern Chlidonias albostriatus
• White-fronted Tern Sterna striata
• Antarctic Tern Sterna vittata
• Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea

Waders & Shorebirds

• Variable Oystercatcher Haematopus unicolor
• South Island Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus finschi
• Chatham Island Oystercatcher Haematopus chathamensis
• Pied Stilt Himantopus himantopus
• Black Stilt Himantopus novaezelandiae
• Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva
• New Zealand Dotterel Anarhynchus obscurus
• Banded Dotterel Anarhynchus bicinctus
• Wrybill Anarhynchus frontalis
• Black-fronted Dotterel Thinornis melanops
• Shore Plover Thinornis novaeseelandiae
• Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles
• Eurasian Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
• Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
• Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata
• Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis
• Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos
• Chatham Island Snipe Coenocorypha pusilla
• Snares Island Snipe Coenocorypha huegeli
• Subantarctic Snipe Coenocorypha aucklandica
• Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
• Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes
• Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes
• Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum
• Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
• Red Knot Calidris canutus
• Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis
• Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
• Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia

Ducks, Geese & Swans

• Mute Swan Cygnus olor
• Black Swan Cygnus atratus
• Cape Barren Goose Cereopsis novaehollandiae
• Greylag Goose Anser anser
• Canada Goose Branta canadensis
• Paradise Shelduck Tadorna variegata
• Australian Wood Duck Chenonetta jubata
• Blue Duck Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos
• Grey Teal Anas gracilis
• Brown Teal Anas chlorotis
• Auckland Island Teal Anas aucklandica
• Campbell Island Teal Anas nesiotis
• Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
• Grey Duck Anas superciliosa
• Australasian Shoveler Spatula rhynchotis
• New Zealand Scaup Aythya novaeseelandiae

Herons, Ibises & Grebes

• Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
• New Zealand Dabchick Poliocephalus rufopectus
• Hoary-headed Grebe Poliocephalus poliocephalus
• Eastern Little Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
• Cattle Egret Ardea ibis
• Great Egret Ardea alba
• White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae
• Reef Heron Egretta sacra
• Rufous Night Heron Nycticorax caledonicus
• Australasian Bittern Botaurus poiciloptilus
• Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
• Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia

Hawks, Falcons & Owls

• Swamp Harrier Circus approximans
• Barn Owl Tyto alba
• Ruru Ninox novaeseelandiae
• Little Owl Athene noctua
• Nankeen Kestrel Falco cenchroides
• New Zealand Falcon Falco novaeseelandiae

Pigeons, Cuckoos, Kingfishers & Swifts

• Rock Pigeon Columba livia
• Barbary Dove Streptopelia risoria
• Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis
• New Zealand Pigeon Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
• Chatham Island Pigeon Hemiphaga chathamensis
• Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus optatus
• Shining Bronze-cuckoo Chalcites lucidus
• Long-tailed Cuckoo Urodynamis taitensis
• White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus
• Fork-tailed Swift Apus pacificus
• Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis
• Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae
• Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus

Gamebirds

• Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris
• California Quail Callipepla californica
• Brown Quail Synoicus ypsilophorus
• Chukor Alectoris chukar
• Peafowl Pavo cristatus
• Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo
• Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus

Introduced Songbirds & Finches

• Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen
• Rook Corvus frugilegus
• Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis
• Fernbird Poodytes punctatus
• Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena
• Tree Martin Petrochelidon nigricans
• Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
• Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
• Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula
• Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
• Dunnock Prunella modularis
• House Sparrow Passer domesticus
• New Zealand Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae
• Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
• European Greenfinch Chloris chloris
• Common Redpoll Acanthis flammea
• European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
• Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella
• Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus

Frequently asked questions

How many birds are in the Wildlife of New Zealand guide?

The guide lists 251 birds of New Zealand, each with its own page covering identification, habitat and range.

Which groups of birds are covered?

Kiwi (5), Parrots (12), Wattlebirds & Forest Birds (20), Rails, Crakes & Takahē (8), Penguins (6), Albatrosses (13), Petrels, Shearwaters & Storm Petrels (47), Gannets, Shags & Tropicbirds (16), Gulls, Terns & Skuas (22), Waders & Shorebirds (29), Ducks, Geese & Swans (16), Herons, Ibises & Grebes (12), and 4 more groups.