Himantopus novaezelandiae
Endemic. Nationally Critical. Approx 100 birds remain.
Photographed neai Waikuku Beach, at the mouth of the Ashley.
All breeding pairs are found between Tekapo/Pukaki and the Ahuriri river.
Most eggs and chicks are lost to ferrets, stoats, cats, hedgehogs and rats.
Rhipidura fuliginosa fuliginosa
Endemic. Not Threatened.
South Island Pied Morph.
Photographed with a strobe to capture details despite being under the dark canopy of the forest. The pīwakawaka didn’t seem at all bothered.
Todiramphus sanctus vagans
Native. Not threatened.
These kingfishers will fly their prey to a perch, where they will batter it silly, then swallow it whole. Later they will regurgitate the bits they cannot digest as a pellet.
Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
Endemic. Not threatened.
This chonk is one of our most beloved birds. While noisy wingbeats in flight as it seems to struggle to keep its mass aloft, and ungainly on landing, belie the reality that they are actually quite competent fliers.
Known for flying long distances to gorge themselves on sugary sweet ripe fruits like guava, they then rest up with full crops. Whereupon the sweet fruit ferments in their crop, and it doesn’t take much alcohol to make the bird tipsy. They are then often found lying on their sides on the ground under their perch, with glazed half-closed eyes, and sometimes falling prey to cats and dogs.
Ardea alba modesta
Native, Nationally critical. Also found in East Asia and Australia.
These birds have only one breeding spot in Aotearoa NZ, near Okarito Lagoon in Westland. There are only about 200 birds in NZ.
Eudyptula minor
Native, declining.
The kororā is the smallest of the penguins. When on land, they are nocturnal, hence this one is fast asleep.
Larus novaehollandiae ssp. scopulinus
Native. At Risk. Expected decline 10%-70%
Yes, you read that right. Expected decline of 10-70%, and while there are ideas as to what may be impacting the populations of tarāpunga, there is nothing conclusive, though all the indications are that it is fundamentally our fault, once again.
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Laris dominicanus dominicanus
Native. Not Threatened. Not protected.
Human activity is responsible for unnaturally high numbers of karoro
#nz #native #nznative #nzbirds #nzwild #wildlife #birds #nature #thisisnz #purenz #purenewzealand #D500 #200500mmf56
Phalacrocorax varius varius
Native. Recovering. Expected increase >10%.
Shags lay clutches of eggs right throughout the year rather than just at spring or summer
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Haematopus unicolor
Endemic. Recovering.
Hanging out at #mapua
#nz #endemic #native #nznative #nzbirds #nzwild #wildlife #birds #nature #thisisnz #purenz #purenewzealand #D500 #200500mmf56