List of New Zealand birds

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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

• Hoiho (Yellow-eyed Penguin)
• Tawaki (Fiordland Penguin) Eudyptes pachyrhynchus

• Taiko (Magenta Petrel)
• Takapu (Gannet) Sula serrator
• Titi (Muttonbird or Sooty Shearwater)
• Toroa (Albatross)

• 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

• New Zealand Little Bittern Ixobrychus novaezelandiae (extinct)

• 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)

• 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)

• New Zealand Quail, Coturnix novaezelandiae novaezelandia (extinct)

• 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

• Weweia (New Zealand dabchick)

• 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

• Whekau (Laughing Owl) Sceloglaux albifacies, Extinct
• Ruru (Morepork)

• New Zealand Owlet-Nightjar Aegotheles novaezealandiae, Extinct

• Koekoea (Longtailed Cuckoo)

• 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

• Kereru (Wood Pigeon)

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

• Kokako (Blue Wattled Crow) - 2 species
• New Zealand Crow Palaeocorax moriorum, Extinct

• Pihoihoi (New Zealand Pipit)
• Popokatea (Richard's Pipit)

• Toutouwai (New Zealand Robin)

• Tui (Parson Bird)

• Korimako (New Zealand Bellbird), Anthornis melanura

• Piwakawaka (Grey Fantail) Rhipidura fuliginosa

• Tauhou (Silvereye) Zosterops lateralis

• 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

External Links

• http://www.nzbirds.com/Gallery.html
• List of Maori names of birds