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Description:
A small bird not much bigger than a sparrow.
Crown and upper parts bronze green.
Underparts white barred with similar iridescent green.
Their simple call of repeated two syllable ascending notes is followed by one or two descending notes.
Returns to breed (parasitising nests) after wintering in the Solomon Islands.
Eat caterpillars.
Habitat:
More often than seen in spring and early summer. Easily imitated and bird will often call back.
Frequent native forest, scrub and gardens.
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:
Description:
Similar in appearance and size to but behaviour very different.
Tends to run away instead of flying off (as does ) when approached
and when it does fly usually only goes a short distance before alighting.
Has a longer tail than and frequently flicks it up and down.
Not a songster, but has a harsh "swee" call.
Habitat:
Usually in pairs on shingle river beds or gravel road margins.
Widely distributed from coast to alpine meadows.
But does not live in cultivated land or farm pastures like .
Description:
Adult male is jet black with bright yellow beak.
Female is brown with duller beak.
Mainly a ground feeder that hops more than walks
(in contrast to swaggering walk of the )
Has clear melodious song especially in breeding season delivered from high points around
territory.
Song is similar to, but not as repetitive as, the .
Can cause damage to orchard fruits.
Habitat:
Common in gardens, parks, along hedges.
Description:
Similar size to .
Brown upper parts cream white underparts with bold arrow shaped speckling
especially on breast.
Mainly a ground feeder cocking its head on the side listening for worms.
Song distinguished from by the repetition of phrases
"Remember Browning's",
"Home thoughts from Abroad",
"That's the wise thrush; he sings each song twice over."
Liked by gardeners as they crack open snails on an "anvil" and eat them.
Habitat:
Most often seen on urban lawns, especially after rain.
Description:
Small grey brown bird.
Feeding habit of hovering and picking caterpillars and insects from leaves.
White tips of tail displayed in feeding manoeuvre.
Female builds enclosed pendulous nest and incubates eggs.
Male defends territory repeatedly singing squeaky but musical trill more often heard than seen.
Parasitised by and it is not unusual in summer to see two harassed warbler foster-parents
feeding a cuckoo chick three times their size.
Habitat:
Readily attracted by "squeaking".
Widespread, found in established gardens, hedges, plantations or bush.
Look for it moving quickly in the canopy of trees.
Size:
Description:
A small, friendly brown-black bird with pale orange breast and large black and white tail
which it fans frequently in flight.
Uses tail as a rudder in its almost constant pursuit of insects.
Habitat: "Saw-like" song frequently heard.
Attracted by "squeaking". Rub a piece of polystyrene on a licked bottle in the bush
and a will usually be the first bird to respond.
Size:
Description:
Small bird with grey green head and upper parts, pale buff belly and distinctive white eye ring.
Quite mobile when non-breeding and give "chi-chi-chi" calls as they fly or feed.
Cause a lot of damage to fruit especially grapes.
Habitat:
Often in small flocks.
Readily attracted by "squeaking".
Will visit bird tables for fruit, fat or sugar water.
Size:
Description:
In the shade appears black, and the beautiful blue-green iridescence
only shows in the sun.
White feather tufts on the throat are characteristic and
an old name for the Tui was the "parson bird".
Noisy whirring flight.
Song is a mix of melodious notes interspersed with coughs, wheezes, clicks, and grunts.
Clever mimic and can imitate many sounds, such as other birds, telephones,
and even a milkman's musical call signal.
It is our dominant honeyeater and will drive ,
and other tuis away from a feeding patch.
Habitat:
In winter, commonly feeds on eucalyptus.
In spring, Kowhai is a favourite food-tree.
Size: |
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| Site Map | About this guide |
Shining Cuckoo
(Chalcites lucidus)
Kingfisher
(Todiramphus sanctus)
Skylark
(Alauda arvensis)
Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena)
New Zealand Pipit
(Anthus novaeseelandiae)
Blackbird
(Turdus merula)
Song Thrush
(Turdus philomelos)
Grey Warbler
(Gerygone igata)
Pied Fantail
(Rhipidura fuliginosa)
Silvereye
(Zosterops lateralis)
Tui
(Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae)