• Pukeko

    Pukeko

    Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus

    Aka: Purple Swamphen, Purple gallinule

    Love them or hate them, the pukeko is an iconic New Zealand native, though also found in Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. 

    posted by Katherine Chamberlain on 13/05/12 at 21:42
  • Little Shag

     

    Little Shag

    Phalacrocorax melanoleucos brevirostris

    Maori name: Kawaupuka

    posted by Katherine Chamberlain on 17/04/12 at 20:22
  • White-faced heron

    White-faced heron

    Aka: blue heron, blue crane

    Ardea novaehollandiae 

    White-faced heron were occasional visitors to New Zealand from Australia throughout the early 20th century.  In the late 1930’s through the 1940’s Australia experienced severe droughts.  It is perhaps for this reason that the white-faced heron arrived here in larger numbers and began to nest here in the late 1940’s. Today they are the most abundant and widespread species of heron in New Zealand. 

    posted by Katherine Chamberlain on 19/03/12 at 21:31
  • Bellbird

    Bellbird

    Anthornis melanura melanura

    Bellbirds are aptly named for their beautiful voice, similar to that of a tui, though perhaps with a purer tone and less elaborate songs. The Brook Waimarama Sanctuary is a great place to hear them and if you are lucky, you may catch sight of one.  Both sexes are olive green, but the males can be distinguished by having purplish crowns and red eyes while the females have a white stripe under each eye and browner eyes.  

    posted by Katherine Chamberlain on 13/01/12 at 20:56
  • Monitoring October

     

    Pest monitoring – Karen Driver

    Thank you to everyone that helped out for the possum monitoring and for my usual team for regularly getting out there for the pest monitoring, and Jane for analysing the pest monitoring papers each month.

     

    posted by Rick Field on 16/12/11 at 00:10
  • California quail

    California quail

    Callipepla californica brunnescens

    posted by Katherine Chamberlain on 13/12/11 at 20:24
  • Spur-winged plover

    Spur-winged plover

    Vanellus miles novaehollandiae

    posted by Katherine Chamberlain on 13/11/11 at 19:46
  • Bird Watch October 2011

    Paradise Shelduck Tadorna variegata

    Shelducks are similar to both ducks and geese, but belong to a separate genus called Tadorna, which is derived from Celtic and means pied waterfowl. While various species of Shelduck are found throughout the world, the Paradise Shelduck is unique to New Zealand. Its Maori name is Putangitangi.  Most people call it Paradise Duck.

    posted by Katherine Chamberlain on 13/10/11 at 19:37
  • September Garden Bird Watch News

    Mallard Duck

    Anas platyrhynchos

    posted by Katherine Chamberlain on 19/09/11 at 14:53
  • August 2011 Bird Watch Newsletter

    Kingfisher Halcyon sancta vagans 
    download August birdwatch newsletter here

    posted by Katherine Chamberlain on 17/08/11 at 13:21