NEW ZEALAND:  Island Endemics and Seabirds 2005

 

“Three endemic families, three species of penguin, five species of albatross including six subspecies that may gain full species rank in the future, seven species of cormorant, the world’s rarest wader…  New Zealand presented itself through birds and sensational weather during our January trip in a manner that would rank a “10” on anyone’s trip list. 

 

From the time that we met in Auckland, when the tide was perfect for our first sightings of the wader with the bent bill Wrybill and New Zealand Dotterels, to beach walks for views of the rare subspecies of Fairy Tern and a nighttime appearance of Morepork, following a delicious dinner at Te Kauri with our guides, each birding experience seemed to be followed by a successive better one.  Tiritiri Matangi and Little Barrier Islands offered examples of what New Zealand was like before the introduction of mammalian predators as Stitchbirds, Whiteheads and Kokakos were repeatedly sighted during our visits.  And, the Hauraki Gulf demonstrated the richness of the pelagic side of New Zealand as the recently rediscovered New Zealand Storm-Petrel was enjoyed by all as were Blue Noddies, Fluttering Shearwaters, acrobatic White-faced Storm-Petrels and Cook’s Petrels on the calm seas during our all-day pelagic. 

 

Winding our way through the North Island, a ‘native’ Kokako received accolades, while later, New Zealand Falcons made their first appearance of the trip.  A nighttime visit to see glow worms in the Waitomo Caves achieved a special significance following our ‘sighting’ of David Attenborough in the hotel restaurant.  Long-tailed Cuckoos with their distinctive flight profile were as enjoyable as the antics of Tomtits and New Zealand Robins. 

 

Our ferry crossing to the South Island prepared us for further exploration of the waters that surround this country of the Long White Cloud.  A trip to White Rocks in the Malborough Sound was successful with superb views of King Shags while our first pelagic out of Kaikoura was deemed as one defying superlatives as albatrosses astounded us by their proximity to the boat.  White-capped and Salvin’s races of Shy Albatross offered side-by-side study views, Northern and Southern Royal Albatrosses circled us and Hutton’s Shearwaters flashed the distinctive darker underwing coverts that distinguish them from Fluttering Shearwaters.  An optional whale-watching trip was highlighted with sightings of both Sperm Whale and the seldom-encountered Arnoux’s Beaked Whale. 

 

Black Stilt was one of our highlight birds in the MacKenzie Basin with Mount Cook serving as a scenic backdrop to the braided rivers this rare species favours.  None of us will forget the performances of Fernbirds during our stop before the ferry crossing to Stewart Island.  Along our route, whether relaxing in family-owned hotels or sampling exotic meat pies, we were constantly treated to New Zealand hospitality and uniqueness as we birded the country in comfort.

 

Stewart Island may take the title of nature’s paradise on the trip as a Southern Brown Kiwi, spotlighted by a nearly full moon on a deserted beach, took any sting out of the muddy trek across the island.  The weather cooperated fully with calm seas allowing us to circumnavigate Stewart Island during our daylong charter, a first even for our local guide.  With eager eyes searching land and sea, we sighted species that we had not dared hope for including Fiordland Crested Penguin and Antarctic Tern in addition to thousands of Sooty Shearwaters, Mottled Petrels and numerous albatrosses during the day.  Ulva Island once again demonstrated what New Zealand was once like and, with the help of dedicated conservationists, is becoming again as Wekas roamed freely and a Yellowhead and Brown Creepers made their presence known as we walked the trails in the lush forest.

 

The Milford Road offered eye-filling scenery that changed with each curve along the road.  South Island (Rock) Wren became a star performer against a postcard-perfect scenic backdrop while our night spent on the comfortable Milford Mariner offered a side to the fiords of New Zealand that few visitors experience.  All too soon, we retraced our route by air, enjoying the rugged scenery and coastline of this diverse country as images of our birding experience were replayed in our memories.  And all would agree that a combination of exploration of New Zealand by land and sea offers an unforgettable and unique birding experience.”  Judy Davis

 

 

BIRD LIST

 

Common and scientific names are those used in Birds of the World: A Checklist by James A. Clements, Ibis Publishing Company, 2000.  Some alternate common names are given in parenthesis ().  Albatross taxonomy is based upon that used in A Complete Guide To Antarctic Wildlife by Hadoram Shirihai, Alula Press, 2002.

 

Column 1 = number of days recorded

Column 2 = maximum daily total (including heards)

N: = nesting behavior observed (nests/eggs, carrying food, fledged young, etc.)

H = heard only

(H) = mostly heard

Bold = endemic species

(I) = introduced species

F = feral population

* = Globally threatened species per the 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species [www.redlist.org]

 

Brown Kiwi

1

1

*

Apteryx australis

Fiordland (Crested) Penguin

1

1

*

Eudyptes pachyrhynchus

Yellow-eyed Penguin

3

40

N *

Megadyptes antipodes

Little (Blue) Penguin

8

100

 

Eudyptula minor

Australasian Grebe

1

5

N

Tachybaptus novaehollandiae

New Zealand Grebe (Dabchick)

3

10

N *

Poliocephalus rufopectus

Great Crested Grebe

2

4

 

Podiceps cristatus

Wandering Albatross 

 

 

 

Diomedia exulans

    Gibson’s Albatross

2

8

 

     D. [e.] gibsoni

    Antipodean Albatross

2

1

*

     D. [e.] antipodensis

Royal Albatross 

 

 

 

D. [epomorpha] epomorpha

    Northern Royal Albatross

4

15

N *

     D. [e.] sanfordi

    Southern Royal Albatross

2

1

*

     D. [e.] epomorpha

Black-browed Albatross

2

2

 

Diomedea melanophris

Buller’s Albatross

3

50

*

T. [bulleri] bulleri

Shy Albatross 

 

 

 

Thalassarche [cauta] cauta

    White-capped Albatross

6

20

 

     T. [cauta] steadi

    Salvin’s Albatross

3

50

*

     T. [c.] salvinii

Antarctic (Southern) Giant Petrel

3

2

 

Macronectes giganteus

Hall’s (Northern) Giant Petrel

2

10

 

Macronectes halli

Cape (Pintado) Petrel

5

50

 

Daption c. capense and australe

Mottled Petrel

2

40

*

Pterodroma inexpectata

Cook’s Petrel

2

‘00s

*

Pterodroma cookii

Fairy Prion

4

‘00s

 

Pachyptila turtur

White-chinned Petrel

2

10

 

Procellaria aequinoctialis

Westland Petrel

2

7

*

Procellaria westlandica

Parkinson’s Black Petrel

1

15

 

Procellaria parkinsoni

Flesh-footed Shearwater

4

30

 

Puffinus carneipes

Buller’s Shearwater

7

‘00s

*

Puffinus bulleri

Sooty Shearwater

7

‘000s

 

Puffinus griseus

Short-tailed Shearwater

3

10

 

Puffinus tenuirostris

Hutton’s Shearwater

4

‘00s

*

Puffinus huttoni

Fluttering Shearwater

4

100

 

Puffinus gavia

White-faced Storm-Petrel

2

150

 

Pelagodroma marina

New Zealand Storm-Petrel  

1

4

 

Oceanites maorianus

Common Diving-Petrel

6

40

 

Pelecanoides urinatrix

Australian Gannet

7

‘00s

N

Morus serrator

Little Black Cormorant

1

86

 

Phalacrocorax sulcirostris

Great Cormorant

5

30

 

Phalacrocorax carbo

Pied Cormorant

11

‘00s

N

Phalacrocorax varius

Little Pied Cormorant

 9

75

 

Phalacrocorax melanoleucos

Rough-faced (King) Shag

1

40

*

Leucocarbo carunculatus

Bronze (Stewart Island) Shag

4

‘00s

N *

Leucocarbo chalconotus

Spotted Shag

7

‘00s

N

Stictocarbo punctatus

White-faced Heron

15

100

 

Egretta novaehollandiae

Pacific Reef-Heron

2

1

 

Egretta sacra

Australasian Bittern

1

2

*

Botaurus poiciloptilus

Royal Spoonbill

4

25

N

Platalea regia

Black Swan

9

‘00s

N (I)

Cygnus atratus

Canada Goose

5

‘00s

(I)

Branta canadensis

Cape Barren Goose 

1

7

F

Cereopsis novaehollandiae

Paradise Shelduck

14

‘00s

N

Tadorna variegata

Blue Duck

1

7

*

Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos

Grey Teal

7

50

 

Anas gracilis

Brown Teal  

1

2

*

Anas chlorotis

Mallard

11

50

N (I)

Anas platyrhynchos

Pacific Black Duck (Grey Duck)

 6

50

 

Anas superciliosa

Australian Shoveler

4

30

 

Anas rhynchotis

New Zealand Scaup

5

‘00s

N

A. novaeseelandiae

Swamp Harrier

14

40

 

Circus approximans

New Zealand Falcon

3

2

*

Falco novaeseelandiae

Brown Quail

1

 2

(I)

Coturnix ypsilophora

Ring-necked Pheasant

2

2

(H) (I)

Phasianus colchicus

Wild Turkey

3

5

(I)

Meleagris gallopavo

Chukar

1

2

(I)

Alectoris chukar

Weka

1

20

N *

Gallirallus australis

Buff-banded Rail

1

2

 

Gallirallus philipensis

Spotless Crake

1

2

 

Porzana tabuensis

Purple Swamphen (Pukeko)

9

75

N

Porphyrio porphyrio

Takahe  7

1

7

N *

P. mantelli

Eurasian Coot

2

35

 

Fulica atra

South Island Oystercatcher (SIPO)

11

‘00s

 

Haematopus finschi

Variable Oystercatcher

13

35

N

Haematopus unicolor

White-headed Stilt

9

200

 

Himantopus leucocephalus

Black Stilt

2

7

*

Himantopus novaezelandiae

Masked Lapwing

14

40

 

Vanellus miles

Red-breasted (NZ) Dotterel

3

50 *

 

Charadrius obscurus

Double-banded Plover

6

55

 

Charadrius bicinctus

Shore Plover 

1

1

*

Thinornis novaeseelandiae

Pacific Golden Plover

1

4

 

Pluvialis fulva

Wrybill

3

‘00s

*

Anarhynchus frontalis

Bar-tailed Godwit

8

‘000s

 

Limosa lapponica

Ruddy Turnstone

2

10

 

Arenaria interpres

Red Knot

3

125

 

Calidris canutus

Brown Skua

1

6

 

Catharacta antarctica

Pomarine Jaeger (Skua)

1

1

 

Stercorarius pomarinus

Parasitic Jaeger (Arctic Skua)

4

4

 

Stercorarius parasiticus

Kelp (Dominican) Gull

17

‘00s

N

Larus dominicanus

Red-billed Gull

16

‘00s

N

Larus scopulinus

Black-billed Gull

7

100

*

Larus bulleri

Caspian Tern

6

12

 

Sterna caspia

White-fronted Tern

11

‘00s

N

Sterna hirundo

Black-fronted Tern

5

50

*

Sterna albostriata

Fairy Tern

1

3

N

Sterna nereis

Little Tern

1

2

 

Sterna albifrons

Antarctic Tern

1

15

 

Sterna vittata

Blue Noddy (Grey Ternlet)

1

35

 

Proclesterna cerulea

New Zealand Pigeon

14

10

 

Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae

Rock Dove

8

50

(I)

Columba livia

Kea

1

4

(H) *

Nestor notablis

New Zealand Kaka

3

20

*

Nestor meridionalis

Red-fronted Parakeet

3

25

 

Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae

Yellow-fronted Parakeet

2

6

(H) *

Cyanoramphus auriceps

Eastern Rosella

2

10

 

Platycercus eximius

Long-tailed Koel (Cuckoo)

4

6

(H)

Eudynamys taitensis

Morepork

4

10

N (H)

Ninox novaeseelandiae

Sacred Kingfisher

7

15

 

Todirhamphus sanctus

Rifleman

6

15

 

Acanthisitta chloris

South Island (Rock) Wren

2

2

N *

Xenicus gilviventris

Skylark

13

50

 

Alauda arvensis

Welcome Swallow

15

100

 

Hirundo neoxena

Australasian Pipit

4

2

 

Anthus novaeseelandiae

Dunnock

6

10

(I)

Prunella modularis

Eurasian Blackbird

17

50

(I)

Turdus merula

Song Thrush

17

30

(I)

Turdus philomelos

Fernbird

2

4

 

Megalurus punctatus

Grey Fantail

11

5

 

Rhipidura fuligonosa

Tomtit

7

20

 

Petroica macrocephala

New Zealand Robin

6

12

N

Petroica australis

Whitehead 

3

25

 

Mohoua albicilla

Yellowhead 

1

1

*

Mohoua ochrocephala

Pipipi (Brown Creeper)

3

20

 

M. novaeseelandiae

Grey Gerygone (Warbler)

12

17

 

Gerygone igata

Silver-eye

9

15

 

Zosterops lateralis

Stitchbird 

2

15

*

Notiomystis cincta

New Zealand Bellbird

11

30

 

Anthornis melanura

Tui

 

11

100

 

Kokako 

3

4

*

Callaeas cinerea

Saddleback 

4

20

*

Creadion carunculatus

Australasian Magpie

14

100

(I)

Gymnorhina tibicen

Common Myna

5

‘00s

(I)

Acridotheres tristis

European Starling

17

‘00s

(I)

Sturnus vulgaris

House Sparrow

17

100

(I)

Passer domesticus

Chaffinch

15

20

(I)

Fringilla coelebs

European Greenfinch

11

30

(I)

Carduelis chloris

Common Redpoll

10

10

(I)

Carduelis flamme

European Goldfinch

15

50

(I)

Carduelis carduelis

Yellowhammer

15

30

(I)

Emberiza citrinella

 

 

 

MAMMALS

 

Common Brushtail Possum

1

1

(I)

Trichosurus vulpecula

Bat sp.

1

1

*

 

European Stoat

1

1

(I)

Mustela erminea

New Zealand Fur Seal

8

50

 

Arctocephalus forsteri

New Zealand (Hooker’s) Sea Lion

2

12

*

Phocarctos hookeri

Common Dolphin

1

3

 

Delphinus delphis

Bottle-nosed Dolphin

1

10

 

Tursiops truncatus

Dusky Dolphin

1

30

 

Lagenorhynchus obscurus

Hector’s Dolphin

1

4

*

Cephalorhynchus hectori

Sperm Whale

1

2

O *

Physeter macrocephalus**

Arnoux’s Beaked Whale

1

4

O

Berardius arnuxii

European Rabbit

4

10

(I)

Oryctolagus cuniculus

 

 

O = seen on optional whale watching trip

 

 

OTHER WILDLIFE

 

Stingray sp.

1

5

 

Dasyatis sp.

Flying Fish sp

1

3

 

 

Tuatara (Captive Breeding Program)

1

5

*

Sphenodon punctatus

Puriri Moth

1

2

 

Aenetus virescens