Description: Brightly coloured blue-green bird with light orange breast and sharp powerful beak. More often seen away from water and perhaps eats more insects, worms, lizards than fish. Known to kill small birds such as . Uses the beak to excavate a nest hole in rotten trees or banks. Harsh repeated "kek-kek-kek" call heard more often when breeding.

Habitat: Commonly seen sitting motionless on roadside powerlines, watching for prey. In winter many of our kingfishers migrate to the coast and may be seen feeding on fish and small crabs from rock pools.

Description: Soaring singing small brown bird of open country and pastures. May display small crest when seen perching in profile (a feature not seen in ).

Habitat: Commonly seen as a small dot singing as it hovers high above the nesting territory.

Description: Fast-flying small forktailed blue black bird with orange red face and throat. Numbers have exploded since the 1960s when breeding was first recorded in the Wairarapa. A welcome migrant from Australia as its presence has in no way jeopardised existence of our other aerial feeding, predominantly insectivorous bird () which prefers forests and gardens. Their open mud nests are stuck onto rough vertical walls of culverts, bridges and buildings. They can have 3 clutches a year.

Habitat: Swallows chase and catch aerial insects over open country and water.

Size: 15 cm

Description: Our only common widespread yellow bird. Both sexes show yellow face and head, and upper parts brown, but male is much the brighter. Male song traditionally described as "little bit of bread and no cheese", often repeated monotonously. Ground feeder, in winter frequently seen in flocks where hay has been fed out on paddocks. Nest on or close to ground in a tangle of vegetation. The pale pinkish eggs are covered with purple-red scribbles.

Habitat: Seen usually in hedgerows, scrubland and open country.

Description: An apparently black bird whose plumage glistens with iridescent greens and purples in sunlight. Readily distinguished from by its swaggering walk as opposed to 's hopping gait. Commonly seen on lawns or pastures especially after rain when grass grubs more accessible. Huge flocks wheel in unison like vast moving black clouds especially over their winter roosts, which can comprise over 20,000 birds. Noisy chattering birds which can become good mimics.

Description: Prominent black and white crow-like bird. Aggressive and may physically attack humans and if either venture close to their nests. Unprotected since 1991 and commonly trapped or shot as a pest. Kill and eat small birds and take their eggs. Native species increase in numbers when magpies are eliminated. Best feature of this bird is its flute-like morning carolling.

Habitat: Motor in the country and you could easily believe these large black and white birds were our commonest bird. They are very obvious in family groups foraging on pasture.

Size: 40 cm

Description: Large black birds which gather in noisy roosts called "parishes" and breed high in large colonies, often old pines. Is a wary bird, hard to approach and gives typical "caw" calls if disturbed. Disliked by farmers as they damage crops. Attempts to eradicate colonies usually just disperses birds and they establish new satellite colonies elsewhere.

Habitat: Feeds in loose flocks on pasture and cultivated paddocks.