Native Land Birds of New Zealand

Here are a few of New Zealand's most notable native birds.

A fantail, or piwakawaka, perched on a branch covered with small brown leaves, with its tail fanned out. It is a very small bird with brown feathers, a pale brown belly, a black and white face and a striking fan-shaped black and white tail.

Piwakawaka / Fantail

A loud, friendly little bird named in English for its bold black and white tail and in Maori for its squeaky call. Can be found all over NZ, even close to urban settlements.

A tomtit, or miromiro, perched on the end of a thick branch. It is very small and has black plumage apart from a bright yellow belly.

Miromiro / Tomtit

A small elusive bird similar to a robin, that lives in forest and shrubland.

A bellbird, or korimako, perched on a thin mossy branch. It is a small yellowish green bird with a bluish grey face.

Korimako / Bellbird

A "honeyeater" that survives on plant nectar, the bellbird was named for its distinctive, bell-like song that rings out across NZ's forests. Click here to hear it.

A yellow-crowned parakeet, or kakariki, perched on a branch, facing away from the camera. It is a bright green bird with a blue feather at the tip of its wing and a yellow section on its forehead.

Kakariki

This maori name covers both the yellow-crowned and red-crowned parakeet, both rare green parrots living high in the forest canopy.

A tui leaning down from its perch to look at something in the bottom left. It is a dark blue, brown, black and green bird with a distinctive white protrusion beneath its chin.

Tui

A dark iridescent-coloured bird with a distinctive white protrusion on their necks, tui are incredibly local birds. Now quite common even in urban areas, they've learnt to mimic car alarms and ringtones!

A morepork, or ruru, perched in a tree, looking directly into the camera. It is a small owl with dappled brown feathers and yellow eyes.

Ruru / Morepork

New Zealand's only native owl, the morepork was also named for its call, which sounds like the words "more pork". Like other owls, it hunts at night.

A kaka, a large reddish brown parrot, using its beak to grab a yellow blossom from the tree it is perched in.

Kaka

Kaka are large, loud parrots found in forests. They tear the bark from native trees, searching for wood-boring insects.

A New Zealand pigeon, or kereru, perched on a very thin branch against a background of blue sky. It is a large pigeon with iridescent green and purple feathers apart from a white belly.

Kereru / New Zealand Pigeon

Much larger than pigeons elsewhere in the world, kereru are relatively widespread in NZ. They have been known to feed on over-ripe fruit and are therefore sometimes seen slightly tipsy!

A kea perched on a rock with mountains and grass in the background. It is a brownish-green parrot.

Kea

The world's only alpine parrot, kea are nationally endangered. They are small and green with a striking orange underwing. If you go hiking in alpine areas in NZ, these clever birds might just find a way into your tent or car!

A weka wading in a shallow body of water. It is a relatively large wetland bird with pale brown feathers.

Weka

One of NZ's large flightless birds, weka are very curious birds and often interact with humans entering their habitat. They are found in a range of habitats including wetland and forests.

A kiwi at night time, rooting around in some fallen leaves with its long beak. It is a round bird with fluffy brown feathers.

Kiwi

New Zealand's iconic native bird, the most common subspecies being the North Island Brown Kiwi. These unusual birds are nocturnal, flightless and lay very large eggs.

A kakapo, a very large green parrot, pecking at a log it is walking along.

Kakapo

An enormous, nocturnal, flightless parrot, the kakapo is critically endangered (see the Conservation page). They have a very low, loud, booming call.

A takahe, a large round bird with dark green and blue plumage and a red beak, standing in some grass and eating a small blade of it.

Takahe

Once thought extinct, the takahe is the largest living species of rail (a type of bird) in the world. They have undergone an incredible recovery - see the Conservation page.