10,000 Birds

APRIL 4, 2018

This weeks posting finds me north of the Whananaki area, which is north of Auckland, New Zealand. We are spending some time here on my wife’s family property right on the water. Unfortunately, there have been no new birds that I can check off my “Wish List” but if you have to hang out in a place, this is pretty awesome.

New Zealand 100

New Zealand Groups Alaska Laws 100

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 27, 2013

A European Starling in New Zealand made the news this week. This particular species is not native to New Zealand (similar to its status in North America). The woman in the video found it as a chick at a few days old and hand reared it. This is not the first talking European Starling on YouTube.

New Zealand 165

New Zealand North America Laws Humane 165

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2013

Conservation was in the news again in the last few weeks here in New Zealand, and unfortunately not in a good way. As most people know cats, both feral and domestic, have a pretty big impact on wild birds and other wildlife, and the effect of mammals is particularly profound in New Zealand.

New Zealand 118

New Zealand Possums SPCA Cats 118

10,000 Birds

APRIL 8, 2021

Finally, not so long ago digital photography opened doors to a never before seen number of amateurs shooting at professional level, including one of New Zealand’s youngest nature photographers, Oscar Thomas. A Naturalist’s Guide to the Birds of New Zealand by Oscar Thomas is a photographic guide without a single poor photo.

New Zealand 171

New Zealand Birds Species Groups 171

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 21, 2012

While New Zealand is famous for its endemic oddities, once upon a time New Zealand also had many birds from groups and families that are no longer found here. The mysterious piopio were recently recognized for what they were, New Zealand’s representatives from the oriole family.

Eagles 101

Eagles New Zealand Bald Eagle Collecting 101

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2018

Unlike the bird, the fruit known as the kiwi isn’t native to New Zealand, but received that appellation in a marketing ploy by Kiwi kiwi growers – or if you prefer, New Zealander Chinese gooseberry farmers – to associate the fleshy, bright green fruit with Down Under agriculture.

New Zealand 100

New Zealand India Massachusetts United States 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 13, 2014

The proposal above is one of many that will emerge from a major new paper by Klicka et al., For one thing, as other studies have recently found, New World sparrows belong in their own family, Passerellidae; they are not closely related to Old World Emberiza buntings (see John Boyd’s treatment of the groups ).

New Zealand 196

New Zealand Elephants Sparrows Ostriches 196

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 16, 2013

The middle period of the year was very barren for new species, and this being New Zealand for birds in general. I have a deep love for members of the babbler family (or families now) and so the ten minutes I spent with a pair of Chestnut-crowned Babblers was heaven. Well, no, but yes?

2012 157

2012 New Zealand Thailand Albatross 157

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 29, 2012

Just a quick post today to appreciate one of New Zealand’s most attractive birds, the Paradise Shelduck. They are endemic to New Zealand, but unlike many endemic species that have not suffered at the hands of humans, in fact they have expanded their range as forests have been opened up for pasture. The female.

New Zealand 156

New Zealand Sanctuary Suffering Ducks 156

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 12, 2011

Since New Zealand is currently consumed by rugby fever and we haven’t the time to indulge in anything so tedious as birdwatching, I thought I’d dive back under the sea to introduce one of New Zealand’s most iconic aquatic organisms, the Australasian Snapper ( Pagrus auratus ).

New Zealand 153

New Zealand Goats Fish Protection 153

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2013

People ascribe near mythic status to the members of the family Delphinidae (and other related families). If you love the idea of swimming with dolphins, New Zealand is a great place to do it. Not, may I hurry to add, because I had some issue with swimming in the ocean in New Zealand on South Island in near winter.

Dolphins 155

Dolphins Sharks New Zealand Albatross 155

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

As I sat waiting for the bus home there was a wind, hardly a rarity here in New Zealand, but it was a warm wind, and that certainly is. The spring the birds I’ll show you today is far from the seat of New Zealand’s government where I now work. Sparrows are from the family Passeridae. Long may it last.

United Arab Emirates 161

United Arab Emirates Saudi Arabia Oman Yemen 161

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2011

home about advertise archives birds conservation contact galleries links reviews subscribe Browse: Home / Birds / Stalking a Kiwi Icon Stalking a Kiwi Icon By Duncan • March 16, 2011 • 1 comment Tweet Share Most people, if asked, would confidently name what they thought the National Bird of New Zealand was.

New Zealand 145

New Zealand 2011 Deer New York 145

10,000 Birds

APRIL 13, 2016

But there is one such bird in New Zealand, and it is, as far as I know the only songbird where the young bird has a unique name (I’m sure I’ll be corrected in the comments). On South Island, in a very few places, you might find a Jackbird. This Saddleback is older and has mostly adult plumage, but still has small wattles.

New Zealand 104

New Zealand Parrots Rats Bats 104

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2013

Since this research has a strong citizen science component, we want to help Pavel spread the word: What happens with birdsong during invasion of a new territory? Why Great Britain and New Zealand? British Yellowhammers have been purposefully introduced to New Zealand in the 19th century and quickly colonised it.

Czech Republic 143

Czech Republic New Zealand Science Research 143

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 31, 2011

When it comes down to it New Zealand is all about islands. Somes, less interestingly, was a rich backer of the New Zealand Company called Joseph Somes (who never went near the place). The island represents one of only three places in North Island that has this New Zealand endemic. I’ll work on that.

Penguins 165

Penguins Parrots New Zealand Seals 165

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

Wouldn’t you love to chase New Zealand’s newest family of birds at Mount Taranaki ? The verb hark derives from Proto-Germanic by way of Middle English to urge someone to listen attentively.

New Zealand 152

New Zealand 2013 New York Birds 152

10,000 Birds

JULY 25, 2018

You might remember, or maybe not, that the last spot I birded, prior to boarding a plane for New Zealand, was Nisqually NWR, in a snow storm, and -5 ° F. Today, I saw a handful of Mallards , two Common Mergansers, and a Wood Duck Family. New Zealand species – 104. That is what birding weather should be.

New Zealand 113

New Zealand Seattle Qatar South Africa 113

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

Long before I moved in New Zealand, or visited or even knew much about the wildlife here, way back then I knew about the Poor Knights. In New Zealand I’d even dived the astonishing Milford Sound in Fiordlands National Park, but I didn’t make it to New Zealand’s most famous dive site until January of 2009.

New Zealand 181

New Zealand Belize Vanuatu Fish 181

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 22, 2014

The broadbills are always a family* that birders visiting South East Asia want to see, and who could blame them? They are, with the pittas, the Old World’s only representatives of the otherwise American sub-oscine passerines (the New Zealand wrens being afforded their own distinct lineage).

Madagascar 167

Madagascar Malaysia New Zealand South America 167

10,000 Birds

JUNE 8, 2011

I wasn’t there for birding per se, just a chance to get away from New Zealand’s winter in a sunny tropical island. The Buff-banded Rail (simply Banded Rail here in New Zealand) is something of a tramp, ranging from the Philippines through New Guinea and Australia to northern New Zealand.

Tonga 165

Tonga New Zealand Samoa Fiji 165

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 7, 2013

In his comment in last week’s post on the Marlborough Sounds , Beat writer Jochen described the New Zealand Fantail as one of the best birds in the world. wakawaka, the New Zealand Fantail is a delightful inhabitant of New Zealand, and one of my favourite local birds. Fantails don’t do necks.

New Zealand 175

New Zealand Samoa Fiji Killing 175

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

Here in New Zealand our shambolic exercise in not picking a new flag is becoming a) political and b) something that people will quickly stop paying attention to when the Rugby World Cup starts. They are large, scruffy looking kingfisher by ancestry, five species of that family founds across Australia and New Guinea.

Australia 157

Australia New Zealand Guinea Hunters 157

10,000 Birds

JUNE 27, 2019

They give short shrift to New Zealand’s birds, lumping them with odd names no one here uses because the names are shared elsewhere and God knows America isn’t going to take a hit for us. I’m not blind to the list’s faults, though. But if the list has one real problem, it’s a tendency towards verbosity.

Iran 128

Iran Barn Owls New Zealand Europe 128

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2014

Not forever mind, I’ll still be living here in New Zealand and carrying on as its beat writer here (I may even write about New Zealand again some time). Ugandan Mangabeys were part of my family once. Over a decade since I was last there, I am finally heading back to Africa late this year.

Uganda 161

Uganda Sharks Africa New Zealand 161

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 31, 2012

Living in New Zealand is fun and all, don’t get me wrong. Soon afterwards I managed a few more birds, including introduced Javan Mynas , lots of lovely Peaceful Doves , a large and impressive White-throated Kingfisher , an perky family of Oriental Magpie Robins , and a Black-napped Oriole.

New Zealand 141

New Zealand Fur Malaysia Woodpeckers 141

10,000 Birds

MAY 14, 2014

But today, briefly, let’s recall that I am supposed to be the New Zealand beat writer. I’m pleased to do this because two bits of the puzzle of New Zealand’s faunal history were in the news today, and besides, it means I don’t have to think about some tropical idyll in this miserable Antipodean winter day.

New Zealand 161

New Zealand Penguins Sea Lions Lions 161

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 10, 2011

Four families are often recognized: storm-petrels, albatrosses, shearwaters and petrels , and diving-petrels. But several studies suggest that the storm-petrels actually belong in two different families and that diving-petrels are embedded within the rest of the petrels and shearwaters.

Albatross 180

Albatross Penguins Groups New Zealand 180

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2013

Kiwi, New Zealand icons par excellence , are rather endangered. The suite of predators introduced to New Zealand, on the whole, can’t do to much damage to adult kiwi. A friend of mine, before she moved to New Zealand, thought that kiwi would be the size of kiwi fruit, a lemon sized speciality of the area.

New Zealand 161

New Zealand Raised Rats Endangered Species 161

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

This location is great as it is close to Jeanne’s Family, as well as a very short drive to the Billy Frank Jr. There will be an odd little trip or two in the next few days, but unless I track down something amazing, my next posting will be from the South Island of New Zealand. Nisqually NWR.

Fox 126

Fox Washington Geese Sparrows 126

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2018

New Zealand had been good, Australia was incredible, and South Africa was almost life altering. We have been dragging him thru every bird spot possible, so he could go to Scotland to see where his family is from. Speaking of Bank Swallows , here is one of those family groups. Where do you go from there?

Qatar 115

Qatar Sparrows South Africa Africa 115

10,000 Birds

JUNE 27, 2014

Parrots captivate me more than any other bird family. Second, they occupy an astonishing variety of habitats from temperate Araucaria forests in Chile to alpine scree in New Zealand to seasonally flooded rainforests in Brazil to rocky sea cliffs in Australia. However, they do not occur evenly across their familial distribution.

Parrots 167

Parrots Brazil Mauritius Dominica 167

10,000 Birds

JUNE 29, 2011

I couldn’t tell you how many birds I’ve seen in New Zealand. I guess it must have been a slow news day. And it also occurs that had I not gone to see it and Corey and Mike had found out I would have gotten 10,000 demerits and lost my position as beat writer for New Zealand. So I went to see it.

Penguins 164

Penguins New Zealand Zoos Birds 164

10,000 Birds

MAY 12, 2013

Its mostly found on the ground in thickets or the edges of dense vegetation and usually in small family parties. Puffbacks belong to the bush-shrike family Malaconotidae and this group are called puffbacks due to several of the species forming a habit of puffing out their fluffy white back feathers during display. Pink-headed Dove.

Africa 209

Africa Somalia Pelicans Mozambique 209

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2012

The next day in exactly the same spot I encountered a Shining Bronze Cuckoo , a species I have only seen twice in five years living in New Zealand. In both cases I was able to watch them for quite a while, quite a treat when it comes to skulky members of the cuckoo family!

New Zealand 157

New Zealand Game India Eagles 157

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 3, 2014

As New Zealand’s beat writer I think I’ve done an okay job of discussing the birding of an entirely different island for most of the year, so it’s only fair that I keep that winning streak going by talking about my target for the trip. I imagine this will be the one that comes off next after the African Wild Dog.

Sharks 172

Sharks Leopards Whales Whaling 172

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 11, 2013

If you’re into family ticks, and into armchair ticks, well, I hope you’ve been to New Zealand, because the island just got another endemic bird family. That the three species of mohoua (genus Mohoua ) are New Zealand’s newest family is hardly a surprise. Say hello to the Mohouidae.

Family 179

Family New Zealand Birds Parrots 179