New Zealand
New Zealand is a long, isolated island country in the southwestern Pacific, with a landscape dominated by mountains, temperate forests, volcanic plateaus, extensive farmland and rugged coastlines. The Southern Alps form the backbone of the South Island, while the North Island combines volcanic terrain, geothermal areas and subtropical forests. Offshore islands are particularly important to New Zealand's conservation story, as many have been cleared of introduced predators and now function as refuges for native wildlife. This long geographic isolation has produced a highly distinctive fauna, but introduced mammals have also profoundly altered native ecosystems. Protected forests and offshore sanctuaries therefore play an unusually important role in the country's natural landscape.
Overview
New Zealand is especially rewarding for endemic and flightless birds, including Kiwi, Takahe, Weka, Kaka and Kea. Offshore islands and predator-free sanctuaries are often the best places to see species that are difficult or impossible to find on the mainland. Tiritiri Matangi and Kapiti Island are particularly famous for conservation-based birding, while the South Island's forests and mountains offer Kea, New Zealand Rock Wren and Yellowhead. Coastal areas are excellent for albatrosses, penguins, petrels and shags, with the Otago Peninsula and Kaikōura especially well known. New Zealand has excellent birding infrastructure and is easy to explore independently, although reaching remote islands requires organised boat trips and some species are restricted to protected sites. For birders, the country's combination of extreme endemism, predator-free sanctuaries and spectacular seabirds makes it one of the most distinctive destinations in the Australasian region.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula | 46.0% | 37.1% | 28.4% | 34.3% | 41.2% | 48.2% | 50.1% | 49.7% | 54.9% | 54.2% | 51.3% | 52.1% | 50.4% |
| House Sparrow Passer domesticus | 41.4% | 42.3% | 40.3% | 36.5% | 38.1% | 42.5% | 41.5% | 39.9% | 46.7% | 45.2% | 40.7% | 41.9% | 41.3% |
| Silvereye Zosterops lateralis | 36.4% | 33.3% | 34.6% | 37.6% | 41.6% | 41.9% | 41.0% | 39.3% | 37.1% | 34.3% | 32.8% | 31.0% | 31.9% |
| Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus | 35.0% | 36.0% | 38.0% | 35.7% | 28.4% | 30.7% | 36.6% | 35.6% | 38.2% | 37.0% | 34.3% | 35.0% | 34.0% |
| European Starling Sturnus vulgaris | 33.3% | 24.7% | 23.1% | 29.0% | 32.5% | 36.1% | 36.5% | 34.5% | 39.7% | 37.3% | 36.4% | 37.0% | 32.3% |
| New Zealand Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa | 32.6% | 25.3% | 25.2% | 34.2% | 40.5% | 41.5% | 39.5% | 37.7% | 38.0% | 31.5% | 27.6% | 25.1% | 25.4% |
| Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs | 31.0% | 27.9% | 17.0% | 18.8% | 24.4% | 27.1% | 28.9% | 28.9% | 37.1% | 38.9% | 41.4% | 41.3% | 40.3% |
| Tui Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae | 30.8% | 32.1% | 22.2% | 22.0% | 29.6% | 31.5% | 27.9% | 32.9% | 33.0% | 33.8% | 33.7% | 34.9% | 36.5% |
| Gray Gerygone Gerygone igata | 28.3% | 20.6% | 23.2% | 25.6% | 24.3% | 21.6% | 22.3% | 28.4% | 37.1% | 38.4% | 35.4% | 32.8% | 29.2% |
| Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena | 27.4% | 30.5% | 27.3% | 23.7% | 24.9% | 26.5% | 24.5% | 22.4% | 28.2% | 32.0% | 30.4% | 30.0% | 28.4% |