List of New Zealand birds |
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As a land without terrestrial mammals of any kind, New Zealand was, until the arrival of the first humans, inhabited
by an extraordinarily diverse range of specialised birds. The ecological niches occupied by
mammals as different as cows and rodents, kangaroos and moles, were
filled by reptiles, insects, or birds.
When humans arrived in New Zealand sometime between 800 and 1300, this unique and unusual ecology was endangered. Several
species were hunted to extinction, most notably the moa and harpagornis. The most damage however was caused by the other animals that humans brought with them,
particularly rats (both the Polynesian rat or kiore imported by Maori and the Brown Rat subsequently introduced by the Europeans), but also dogs, cats, stoats, weasels, hedgehogs, and
Australian possums. The flightless birds were in particular danger. Consequently many
bird species became extinct, and others remain critically endangered. Several species are now confined only to offshore islands,
or to fenced "mainland islands" from which predators have been eliminated. Consequently New Zealand is today a world leader in
the techniques required to bring severely endangered species back from the brink of extinction.
The birds below are listed by their Maori name (where known) with
English alternatives in brackets. In some cases (tui, kaka, weka,
pukeko, moa, kiwi, kea, kokako, takahe) the Maori name is the common name. In other cases (fantail, albatross, Black-backed Gull,
bellbird, Morepork, dotterel, wax-eye, oystercatcher) the English name is most commonly used.
The 49 species marked extinct became extinct subsequent to humans' arrival in New Zealand. Of these, 34 extinctions occurred
after the arrival of Maori but before the arrival of Pakeha with 15 further extinctions since.
Sorted (at least in part)
Struthioniformes
- Moa - 11 species
- Little Bush Moa,
Anomalopteryx didiformis (extinct)
- Upland Moa, Megalapteryx
didinus (extinct)
- Heavy-Footed Moa,
Pachyornis elephantopus (extinct)
- Crested Moa, Pachyornis
australis (extinct)
- Mappin's Moa,
Pachyornis mappini (extinct)
- Eastern Moa, Emeus
Crassus, (extinct)
- Stout-Legged Moa,
Euryapteryx geranoides (extinct)
- Coastal Moa, Euryapteryx
curtus (extinct)
- Slender Bush Moa,
Dinornis struthoides (extinct)
- Large Bush Moa,
Dinornis novaezealandiae (extinct)
- Giant Moa, Dinornis
giganteus (extinct)
- kiwi
- North
Island Brown Kiwi, Apteryx mantelli 'North Island
- Okarito Brown
Kiwi, Apteryx mantelli 'Okarito
- Southern Tokoeka
Kwi, Apteryx australis 'Fiordland/Stewart Island'
- Southern
Tokoeka Kiwi (Haast tokoeka), Apteryx australis 'Haast',
- Great Spotted
Kiwi, Apteryx haastii
- Little Spotted
Kiwi, Apteryx owenii
Sphenisciformes
- Hoiho (Yellow-eyed Penguin)
- Tawaki (Fiordland Penguin) Eudyptes
pachyrhynchus
Procellariiformes
- Taiko (Magenta
Petrel)
- Takapu (Gannet)
Sula serrator
- Titi (Muttonbird or Sooty Shearwater)
- Toroa (Albatross)
Pelecaniformes
- Amokura
(Red-tailed Tropic Bird) Phaethon rubricauda
- New Zealand
Pelican, Pelecanus novaezealandiae (extinct)
- Kawau (Great Cormorant), Phalacrocorax carbo
- Karuhiruhi (Pied Cormorant), Phalacrocorax varius
- Little Black
Cormorant, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
- Kawaupaka (Little Pied Cormorant), Phalacrocorax
melanoleucos
- Parekareka (Spotted Shag or Blue Shag), Phalacrocorax
punctatus
- Auckland
Islands Shag, Phalacrocorax colensoi
- Campbell Island
Shag, Phalacrocorax campbelli
- King Shag, Phalacrocorax
carunculatus
- Bronze Shag, Phalacrocorax
chalconotus
- Stewart Island
Shag, Phalacrocorax featherstoni
- Chatham Island
Shag, Phalacrocorax onslowi
- Bounty Islands
Shag, Phalacrocorax ranfurlyi
Ciconiiformes
- New
Zealand Little Bittern Ixobrychus novaezelandiae (extinct)
Anseriformes
- Auckland Island Merganser Mergus australis (extinct)
- Blue-Billed Duck
Oxyura australis
- De Lautour's Duck
Biziura delautouri (extinct)
- Chatham Island
Duck Pachyanas chathamica (extinct)
- Scarlett's Duck
Malacorhynchus scarletti (extinct)
- Whio (Blue Duck)
- Putangitangi (Paradise
Duck)
- Papango (Black Teal or New
Zealand Scaup)
- Pateke (Brown Teal)
- North Island
Goose, Cnemiornis gracilis (extinct)
- South Island
Goose, Cnemiornis calcitrans (extinct)
- New Zealand Swan, Cygnus sumnerensis (extinct)
Gruiformes
- New Zealand Coot
Fulica chathamensis (extinct)
- Chatham Island
Rail Rallus modestus (extinct)
- Giant
Chatham Island Rail Diaphorapteryx hawkinsi (extinct)
- Chatham Island Banded Rail Rallus dietienbachii (extinct)
- Hodgen's Rail
Gallinula hodgeni (extinct)
- Dieffenbach's
Rail Rallus philippensis dieffenbachii (extinct)
- Snipe-Rail Capellirallus
karamu (extinct)
- Adzebill Aptornis
otidiformis (extinct)
- Pukeko (Purple Swamphen), Porphyrio porphyrio
- North Island Takahe, Porphyrio mantelli
(extinct)
- South Island Takahe, Porphyrio hochstetteri
- Weka (Woodhen)
Galliformes
- New Zealand Quail,
Coturnix novaezelandiae novaezelandia (extinct)
Charadriiformes
- Torea
(Variable Oystercatcher)
- Ngutuparore (Wrybill)
- Kaki (Black Stilt)
- Tuturiwhatu
(New Zealand Dotterel)
- Tuturuatu (Shore Plover)
- Stewart Island
Snipe Coenocorypha aucklandica iredalei, Extinct
- Giant
Chatham Island Snipe Coenocorypha chathamica, Extinct
- Hakawai (New Zealand Snipe)
- Little Barrier
Snipe Coenocorypha aucklandica barrierensis, Extinct
- Huahou (Red Knot) Calidris canutus
- Taranui (Caspian Tern)
- Tarapiroe
(Black-fronted Tern)
- Hakoakoa (Skua) - several species
- Arctic Skua, Stercorarius parasiticus (Migratory visitor)
- Brown Skua (Subantarctic Skua),
Catharacta lonnbergi
Podicipediformes
- Weweia (New Zealand dabchick)
Falconiformes
- Eyles' Harrier
Circus eylesi, Extinct
- Kahu (Marsh Harrier) Circus approximans
- Karearea (New Zealand Falcon)
- Harpagornis Harpagornis moorei, Extinct
- Chatham
Island Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus australis, Extinct
Strigiformes
- Whekau (Laughing Owl) Sceloglaux
albifacies, Extinct
- Ruru (Morepork)
Caprimulgiformes
- New
Zealand Owlet-Nightjar Aegotheles novaezealandiae, Extinct
Cuculiformes
- Koekoea (Longtailed Cuckoo)
Psittaciformes
- Kaka (Bush Parrot), Nestor
meridionalis
- Kakariki (New Zealand Parakeet) - 2 species
- Red-crowned
Parakeet, Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae
- Yellow-crowned Parakeet, Cyanoramphus auriceps
- Kakapo (Owl Parrot)
- Kea (Mountain Parrot) Nestor notabilis, threatened
Columbiformes
Passerines
Acanthisittidae
- Grant-Mackie's
Wren Pachyplichas jagmi, Extinct
- Kotuhi (Bush Wren) Xenicus
longpipes, Extinct
- Matuhi
(Stephens Island Wren) Traversia lyalli (Extinct)
- Titipounamu (Rifleman)
- Yaldwyn's Wren
Pachyplichas yaldwyni, Extinct
Corvidae
- Kokako (Blue Wattled Crow) - 2
species
- New Zealand Crow
Palaeocorax moriorum, Extinct
Motacillidae
- Pihoihoi (New Zealand Pipit)
- Popokatea (Richard's Pipit)
Petroicidae
- Toutouwai (New
Zealand Robin)
Meliphagidae
Pardalotidae
- Korimako (New
Zealand Bellbird), Anthornis melanura
Dicruridae
- Piwakawaka (Grey Fantail) Rhipidura fuliginosa
Zosteropidae:
- Tauhou (Silvereye) Zosterops lateralis
Unsorted
- Tieke (Saddleback) - 2 species
- North
Island Saddleback, carunculatus rufusater, endangered
- South
Island Saddleback, carunculatus carunculatus, endangered
- Hihi (Stitchbird) Notiomystis cincta
threatened
- Huia Heteralocha acutirostris, Extinct
- Riroriro (Grey Warbler)
- North Island
kokako, Callaeas cinerea wilsoni, Endangered
- South Island
kokako, Callaeas cinerea cinerea, Probably extinct
- Matata (Fernbird)
- Miromiro (Tomtit)
- Mohua (Yellowhead)
- Piopio Turnagra capensis,
Extinct
- Pipipi (Brown Creeper)
- Chatham
Island Bellbird Anthornis melanura melanocephala, Extinct
- Chatham
Island Fernbird Bowdleria rufescens, Extinct
For a comprehensive listing, see Australasian birds, which
includes the birds of New Zealand, Australia, and the Southern Ocean.
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