Endangered Native Birds of New Zealand.

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As an enthusiastic bird-lover, I have over recent years, since my return to live in NZ, taken a great interest in our native birdlife. In NZ we are blessed with an interesting & colourful variety of native birds, many of them found nowhere else in the world. But sadly, “NZ has lost more bird species than any other nation. We also have more bird species at risk as a percentage of what remains, than any other nation.” Predatory mammals such as possum, feral cats, stoats, & ferrets are responsible for the loss of an estimated 26 Million of our native birds Each Year.

As many of us who enjoy gardening, also enjoy the birds which we share our gardens/countryside/forests with, I thought there might be people on this site who would be interested in this blog …. well, I hope so. At the bottom of these photos, I have added some of our native birds already extinct, though I have not included an image of our Haast’s Eagle, which was the largest eagle ever to have lived … with a wingspan of up to 3 metres wide, it was not a good flier, & glided rather than soared. As the huge Moa bird was one of its main sources of food, when the Moa became extinct, the Haast’s Eagle quickly followed. Skeletal remains of both Moa & Haast’s Eagles are all that are left.

Below …. NZ Whio or Blue Duck. Endemic to NZ, so not found anywhere else in the world. It is a threatened species due to stoats & possums & is now part of a ten year recovery breeding programme.

The NZ Black Stilt … one of the world’s rarest wading birds. By August 2000 there were only 48 left in the wild, with another 20 in captivity.

NZ Kakapo Parrot … the only flightless & nocturnal parrot in the world. Also the heaviest. Found only in New Zealand.. By 1970s, only a few isolated birds were known to exist in Fiordlands in South Island. 200 more were discovered on off-shore Steward Island in 1977, but were in rapid decline through predation by feral cats, until on brink of extinction. Remaining Kakapo were moved to two offshore islands with no predators. By 2002 the population has risen to just 86 birds & are on endangered list.

NZ Morepork Owl … our only surviving native owl, it is a protected bird of prey now. On our offshore Norfolk Island, this little owl was down to just One female in 1987, but thanks to two of our male Moreporks from the mainland, the population is now into double figures. The Morepork is a superb night hunter.

The NZ Saddleback … their breeding behaviour of nesting close to the ground, make them especially vulnerable to predation from introduced mammals (possums, rats, stoats). By the turn of 20th century they were extinct on the mainland, with just a confirmed few on two offshore islands. Ony a swift rescue operation by NZ wildlife service saved this species from extinction “by the skin of its teeth”. Population is now up to 700, spread over 11 small offshore islands, from the original 36 which was all that remained of this bird. The recovery of the Saddleback is considered to be one of NZ’s greatest conservation success stories.

The NZ Kokako … Forest bird. Found only in NZ. One of 3 species of NZ wattlebird – the other 2 being the endangered Tieke (Saddleback .. see above) & the now extinct Huia .. last confirmed sighting in 1904. Previously widespread, the Kokako population throughout NZ have been decimated by introduced predators. The South Island subspecies, with orange wattle, is now thought to be extinct with no confirmed sightings for several decades. The Kokako is a poor flier, preferring to hop & leap. North Island Kokako is now Endangered with an estimated 750 pairs in existence in 2009.

NZ Takahe … Flightless. Indigenous to NZ. It was thought to be extinct in 1898. However, after a carefully planned search effort, the bird was rediscovered in 1948 in the South Island. A related species, the North Island Takahe is extinct now. The near-extinction of the Takahe is due to over-hunting in 19th Century & introduced predators. Recovery efforts are hampered by the fact that this bird takes several years to reach maturity, & especially by low fertility problems in remaining birds. There are now just 230 Takahe remaining & it is going to take a miracle to prevent extinction.

NZ Kiwi … this flightless nocturnal bird is an NZ icon & has been part of an extended protected breeding programme for many decades. Kiwi chicks are abandoned by both parents the moment they hatch, so they are particularly vulnerable to predators during their first year of life.

NZ Yellow-Eyed Penquin … Also known as the Hoiho, it is the world’s rarest penquin. Found only in NZ. The population was estimated at between 6000-7000, but only 300 of these were breeding pairs in 1991.

NZ Kakariki Parrot … The yellow-crowned parakeet, although rare, can be found in forested areas of North Island, South Island & Stewart Island. The red-crowned parakeet (below) is Very Rare on the mainland, & only common on small offshore islands free of mammalian predators, such as possum, stoats, & feral cats.

NZ Spotted Kiwi … This variety of our flightless Kiwi has seen a 43% decline in population in the past 45 years, due to predators of invasive species (dogs, ferrets, pigs, stoats), & habitat destruction. It is now classified as Vulnerable.

NZ Kaka Parrot … on the Vulnerable-Endangered list. it has greatly declined due to loss of habitation & predators. Out of 9 birds tracked in an area Not treated for predator-extermination, 5 were killed by predators in just one season. Lives in lowland native forest. Now breeding rapidly in mainland island sanctuary with over 100 chicks hatched since their re-introduction in 2002.

NZ Chatham Island Black Robin …. only an intensive management programme saved this little bird from extinction. It was once the Rarest bird in the world.

NZ Moa … stood up to 3 metres tall when stretch up to feed from trees, our Moa was the tallest bird which has ever lived. Sadly, it was hunted to extinction, by our now-extinct Haast’s Eagle, & by the Maori population, who greatly-valued the feathers for their cloaks, & the meat for eating. Full skeletons have been found intact.

NZ Huia … this bird was last sighted in 1904, so is now declared extinct.

NZ Blue Penquin … also known as the Korora, it is the smallest species of penquin & grows to just 13" tall. The White-Flippered subspecies is now found only on the Banks Pennisula in NZ & it is considered Endangered. Since 1960 the mainland population of the tiny Blue Penquin has declined by 60-70%.

• 8 Dec, 2011
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