Here are 14 of the most common garden birds of New Zealand. These include a few native birds and also several introduced species, such as blackbirds.
About 212 species of birds can currently be found in New Zealand. Those are birds that live and breed in New Zealand. 171 of those are native, 93 of which are endemic to New Zealand, meaning they can be found nowhere else on Earth! In other words, about 40% of the birds in New Zealand can only be found here. That is a high number of birds, but unfortunately those endemic birds can’t be found in the same numbers in all areas of the country. Gardens and urban areas tend to have a lot of introduced species, of which there are about 40 in the country.
New Zealand Garden Bird Survey
Every year, usually in June or July, there is a New Zealand Garden Bird Survey. This is a time when people across the country have a chance to contribute to our knowledge of bird trends in the country. Visit the NZ Garden Bird Survey website for more information here.
The basic idea is that people spend one hour observing birds in their local garden, park, or other area and count the maximum number of each species they see at any one time. The good news is that the results of the survey are revealing that all of the predator control efforts are making. difference as the bird numbers are increasing:)
14 Common Garden Birds Of New Zealand
Bellbird – Native. Medium. Olive green colour with a red eye. Tail is slightly forked.
Blackbird – Introduced. Medium. Males are black with orange beak. Females dark brown body and brown beak.
Chaffinch – Introduced. Small (slightly bigger than a sparrow). Male reddish breast with grey on top of head, black on wings with white. Female dull brown colour with similar colour wings.
Dunnock – Introduced. Small. Brown upper body with a grey breast and a red eye.
Fantail – Native. Small. Light brown breast, unique white fan shaped tail with white eyebrow.
Goldfinch – Introduced. Small. Brownish overall with unique red on head and black with yellow on wings.
Greenfinch – Introduced. Small. Olive green bird with bright yellow patch on wings.
Kereru – Native. Large. Glossy green/purple head and back with white breast, and a red bill and beak.
Myna – Introduced. Medium. Dark brown body. Black head with distinctive yellow beak and eye patch.
Silvereye (also called waxeye) – Native. Small. Olive green and grey in colour with a distinctive white ring around the eye.
Sparrow (house) – Introduced. Small. Both male and female pale brown body with black patches, male has a greyish breast.
Starling – Introduced. Medium. All black covered in white ‘stars’.
Thrush – Introduced. Medium. Dark brown head and back. Breast is light brown with dark brown dots all over it.
Tui – Native. Medium. Black with a white tuft of feathers at throat and iridescent blue on wings and head.