For our tour description, itinerary, past triplists, dates, fees, and more, please VISIT OUR TOUR PAGE.
See this triplist in printable PDF format with media only on page 1.
Participant Gregg Recer did a wonderful job of capturing the seemingly endless wingspan of this Australasian Gannet.
Ah, New Zealand, Land of the Long White Cloud… where hobbits and moas frolicked and kiwis and petrels still nest. Just kidding about the hobbits, by the way. But the huge eagles from the Lord of the Rings movies aren’t all that inaccurate. New Zealand was a land ruled by birds for several million years. Then the party wreckers arrived… I mean the humans… and things went a bit haywire. But despite having lost a number of cool birds to extinction, we are still left with some great birds, from the aforementioned five species of kiwis to the adorable New Zealand wrens, the unique Stitchbird, and the wattled crows such as Saddlebacks and Kokakos, not to mention a rather huge helping of tubenoses (albatrosses, shearwaters, and petrels)! Although the overall species richness may be low, the quality of the birds is quite high.
Our tour started from the bottom up (or top down, depending how your globe sits): we began in Fiordland, headed south to Stewart Island, then worked our way north along the east coast of the South Island, crossed the McKenzie Country and the Southern Alps to the west coast, up to the Westland (avoiding the mess that the earthquake made of poor old Kaikoura), crossing the Cook’s Strait on the ferry, and then driving across the North Island to the volcanic plateau and finally up to Auckland. Those with tenacity then continued up to do a lovely pelagic in the Hauraki Gulf, complete with rain showers and chop (heh). And we did have some memorable experiences during this long journey: First and foremost was the very memorable skipping Okarito Kiwi. Then, there were the endearingly naïve Westland Petrels at the colony. The nesting South Island (Rock) Wrens comprised a third most popular memory, followed by the odd Wrybill, the friendly Robin, and the boldly-patterned Cape Petrels. Other things that we enjoyed were the pelagic, particularly the albatrosses (Wandering and Salvin’s were especially favorites) off Stewart Island, the different Stitchbird on Tiritiri Matangi Island, the loud and bold Wekas, as well as bold Kakas on Stewart Island, the dopey, yet comedic Yellow-eyed Penguins as they hopped down to the water, the awesome view of Ruapehu Volcano, the similarly awesome view and serenity at the Arthur’s Pass Wilderness Lodge, where folks enjoyed the sheep round-up by dogs, the ever so slightly naughty Keas, and the cute-as-a-button Rifleman. The tour provided us with all these sights and memories, as well as more! I sure enjoyed sharing them with all of you, and I hope to see you again on another birding trip somewhere! Until then, keep a long black in the chilly bin (or something like that)!
Good birding, Dan
KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant
We enjoyed plenty of great looks at Little Penguin. Photo by participant Gregg Recer.
Apterygidae (Kiwis)
SOUTHERN BROWN KIWI (STEWART ISLAND) (Apteryx australis lawryi) – Some quick views of birds on the trail near Ocean Beach on Stewart Island weren't what we'd hoped for, but will do (especially with the views of the next species to make up for them). [E]
OKARITO BROWN KIWI (Apteryx rowi) – A great experience with Ian Cooper! That one male (BZ) skipping across the road will stick in our memories for a long time! [E]
GREAT SPOTTED KIWI (Apteryx haastii) – Heard only in the forest of Westland. [E*]
Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl)
CANADA GOOSE (Branta canadensis) – Just like back home (sigh). [I]
BLACK SWAN (Cygnus atratus) – Apparently, this species had naturally colonized NZ, but died out, only to be reintroduced by humans again in modern times.
AUSTRALIAN SHELDUCK (Tadorna tadornoides) – Phew! A lucky find among a large group of Paradise Shelducks near Auckland on the first day of the extension.
PARADISE SHELDUCK (Tadorna variegata) – Perhaps one of the most common endemic species in NZ. [E]
BLUE DUCK (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos) – Cool! Two great views of this rather rare torrent duck: a pair near Homer Tunnel, and another with ducklingcitos at the Whakapapa outlet near Tongariro NP. [E]
MALLARD (Anas platyrhynchos) – Quack. [I]
PACIFIC BLACK DUCK (Anas superciliosa) – A lot of these probably have Mallard genes in them thanks to the intro-duck-tion of that species to NZ.
AUSTRALIAN SHOVELER (Anas rhynchotis) – Like a Northern Shoveler in eclipse plumage.
GRAY TEAL (Anas gracilis) – A more estuarine duck we saw mostly on the South Island.
BROWN TEAL (Anas chlorotis) – We saw two pairs (and ducklings) on Tiritiri and another pair at Tawharanui Park on the extension. [E]
NEW ZEALAND SCAUP (Aythya novaeseelandiae) – A common duck in NZ. [E]
New Zealand is a seabird lover's paradise. This southern form of Royal Albatross was one of many species we saw exceptionally well. Photo by participant Gregg Recer.
Odontophoridae (New World Quail)
CALIFORNIA QUAIL (Callipepla californica) – Not too rare in NZ, particularly in the highlands of the North island. [I]
Phasianidae (Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies)
BROWN QUAIL (Synoicus ypsilophorus) – A pair performed well on Tiritiri. [I]
RING-NECKED PHEASANT (Phasianus colchicus) – A pair showed well near Lake Pukake. [I]
WILD TURKEY (Meleagris gallopavo) – A few drive by views. [I]
Podicipedidae (Grebes)
NEW ZEALAND GREBE (Poliocephalus rufopectus) – Also called "Dabchick", we saw these on several ponds and lakes on the North Island, with the best looks at Lake Taupo. [E]
GREAT CRESTED GREBE (Podiceps cristatus) – Nice views on Lake Te Anau and Lake Wanaka.
Spheniscidae (Penguins)
YELLOW-EYED PENGUIN (Megadyptes antipodes) – One of the rarest of the world's penguins. It took three tries, but we finally saw four individuals. [E]
LITTLE PENGUIN (Eudyptula minor) – The most widespread of the penguins in NZ, we saw them around Stewart Island, Otago Harbor, Marlborough Sound, and Hauraki Gulf.
FIORDLAND PENGUIN (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus) – We had quite a few of this attractive penguin around Milford Sound and Stewart Island. [E]
Diomedeidae (Albatrosses)
WHITE-CAPPED ALBATROSS (CAUTA) (Thalassarche cauta cauta) – The most common albatross (mollymawk, if you will) around New Zealand in the spring.
SALVIN'S ALBATROSS (Thalassarche salvini) – Several joined the albatross scrum off Stewart Island. [E]
ROYAL ALBATROSS (SOUTHERN) (Diomedea epomophora epomophora) – Most of the birds around the Stewart Island boat trip were this form.
ROYAL ALBATROSS (NORTHERN) (Diomedea epomophora sanfordi) – This was the form we saw on land from Otago Harbor and also one around the boat off Stewart Island. [E]
This Brown Skua gave us a one-wing salute. Photo by guide Dan Lane.
WANDERING ALBATROSS (Diomedea exulans) – One among the great throng of albatrosses off Stewart Island. Birds here are part of the Antipodean form that breeds around New Zealand.
Procellariidae (Shearwaters and Petrels)
NORTHERN GIANT-PETREL (Macronectes halli) – This glamorous bird (gag) showed up off Stewart Is, and again on Cook Strait.
CAPE PETREL (Daption capense) – Our first were several off Stewart Is., but we had them on a few other boat trips.
COOK'S PETREL (Pterodroma cookii) – Many on Hauraki Gulf put on a good show. [E]
FAIRY PRION (Pachyptila turtur) – After missing them on the main tour, a few birds showed up on the Hauraki Gulf.
PARKINSON'S PETREL (Procellaria parkinsoni) – One bird came in on our Hauraki Gulf extension pelagic. [E]
WESTLAND PETREL (Procellaria westlandica) – Wow! After having several at arm's reach in the forest in Westland, we got to see them at sea in the Cook's Strait a few days later! [E]
FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER (Ardenna carneipes) – Several seen on the Cook's Strait and later on the extension pelagic.
BULLER'S SHEARWATER (Ardenna bulleri) – A few good looks at this "New Zealand Shearwater" (a former English name) on the extension pelagic. [E]
SOOTY SHEARWATER (Ardenna grisea) – Muttonbirds, seen well.
FLUTTERING SHEARWATER (Puffinus gavia) – Many in Queen Charlotte Sound allowed close approach. [E]
COMMON DIVING-PETREL (Pelecanoides urinatrix) – Common indeed! Seen on many of our marine boat trips.
Hydrobatidae (Storm-Petrels)
WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL (Pelagodroma marina) – Poing poing poing! What fun to watch on the extension pelagic!
NEW ZEALAND STORM-PETREL (Fregetta maoriana) – About 8 birds came in during the Hauraki Gulf pelagic. [E]
Sulidae (Boobies and Gannets)
AUSTRALASIAN GANNET (Morus serrator) – Good views in the Queen Charlotte Sound.
Mirror Lake in Fiordland National Park was one of many scenic sites we visited. Photo by participant Cathy Pasterczyk.
Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants and Shags)
LITTLE PIED CORMORANT (Microcarbo melanoleucos) – One of the most common "shags" in NZ.
GREAT CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax carbo) – Locally called Black Shag.
SPOTTED SHAG (Phalacrocorax punctatus) [E]
LITTLE BLACK CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) – It was nice to have the comparison of this species with Great and Little Pied Cormorants on Lake Taupo.
PIED CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax varius)
NEW ZEALAND KING SHAG (Phalacrocorax carunculatus) – The shags we saw in the Queen Charlotte Sound. [E]
STEWART ISLAND SHAG (Phalacrocorax chalconotus) – So, recent genetic work has suggested that the birds from the east side of the South Island (from the Catlins north to Oamaru) are a different "clade" (evolutionary branch) from those breeding around Stewart Island and the nearby southern coast of the South Island. The northern birds are larger and have less face carunculations than those from Stewart Island, as well. Folks in Stewart Island were actually claiming that two species are now being recognized, but I think that may be jumping the gun a bit, as there is only one taxonomic name available so far (chalconotus, which, interestingly enough, is applied to the Otago birds!)... There may be a split in the future, but it has not yet happened. [E]
Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
GREAT EGRET (AUSTRALASIAN) (Ardea alba modesta) – Locally called White Heron, we saw one along the west coast of the South Island.
WHITE-FACED HERON (Egretta novaehollandiae) – A historic self-colonizer from Oz that has clearly done well in NZ.
Threskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills)
ROYAL SPOONBILL (Platalea regia)
Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
SWAMP HARRIER (Circus approximans) – The only large raptor in NZ, so it has to fill a lot of roles: Buteo, harrier, and vulture.
This pair of South Island Oystercatchers posed nicely for participant Gregg Recer.
Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots)
WEKA (Gallirallus australis) – Several close views (with chicks!) on the course of the tour, but the bird that boomed out a song from only a few yards in front of us on the road in Westland was particularly memorable! [E]
BUFF-BANDED RAIL (Gallirallus philippensis) – A swing and a miss on the main tour, but a bird grabbed Linda's attention and stood out in the open for us all to admire as we walked to the dock for the extension pelagic. Wow!
SPOTLESS CRAKE (Zapornia tabuensis) – Only Linda and Judy stuck around the Brown Teal pond long enough to see this retiring rail with me.
SOUTH ISLAND TAKAHE (Porphyrio hochstetteri) – Although we didn't see this bird outside a pen on the main tour, three showed well at Tawharanui Park on the extension. [E]
AUSTRALASIAN SWAMPHEN (Porphyrio melanotus) – Far better known locally as Pukeko, which is a name I much prefer!
EURASIAN COOT (Fulica atra) – A small group on a pond near the Ohau River hydro plant.
Recurvirostridae (Stilts and Avocets)
PIED STILT (Himantopus leucocephalus) – Named for the tasty pastry they make in France.
BLACK STILT (Himantopus novaezelandiae) – On our day in the Mackenzie country, we saw over 30 individuals which is something like 15% of the world population of this very rare NZ endemic species! Wow. [E]
Haematopodidae (Oystercatchers)
SOUTH ISLAND OYSTERCATCHER (Haematopus finschi) – Although we saw non-breeders on the North Island (at Miranda, for example), the species only breeds in the open grasslands of the South Island. "But why doesn't it breed on the similar grasslands of the North Island" you ask? Well, they'd have to change their name for starters! [E]
VARIABLE OYSTERCATCHER (Haematopus unicolor) – Most individuals are all black (like the NZ rugby team), but some, particularly on the North Island, have white bellies and wingbars. Hence the name. [E]
Charadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings)
MASKED LAPWING (BLACK-SHOULDERED) (Vanellus miles novaehollandiae) – Locally called "Spur-winged Plover," this species colonized NZ on its own from Oz.
Wrybill: the world's only bird with a laterally curved bill. We had an amazingly close study of this one foraging. Photo by guide Dan Lane.
RED-BREASTED DOTTEREL (Charadrius obscurus) – Called New Zealand Dotterel locally, we saw the paler northern form that has little or now orange color underneath. [E]
LESSER SAND-PLOVER (Charadrius mongolus) – A distant bird at Miranda was showing all the right markings to be this Asian migrant. I wish it had not been so darned tired, though! If only it came closer so we could see it better... [b]
DOUBLE-BANDED PLOVER (Charadrius bicinctus) – Also called "Two-banded Dotterel," this was a fairly common plover at several sites around the South Island. [E]
BLACK-FRONTED DOTTEREL (Elseyornis melanops) – A handsome plover we enjoyed around a sewage pond on the south end of the North Island.
WRYBILL (Anarhynchus frontalis) – A first taste at great distance on the shores of Lake Pukake was followed by amazingly close views of a foraging bird (showing the use of that weird bill!). More were at Miranda. [E]
Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)
BAR-TAILED GODWIT (Limosa lapponica) – After seeing some small and medium sized groups, we saw the mother lode of Alaskan godwits at Miranda. [b]
RUDDY TURNSTONE (Arenaria interpres) – A few at some of the wader concentrations. [b]
RED KNOT (Calidris canutus) – Several groups were mixed in with godwits are several wader concentrations around the country. [b]
SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER (Calidris acuminata) – At least three of this sharp-looking (see what I did there?) shorebird were at Miranda. [b]
CURLEW SANDPIPER (Calidris ferruginea) – One bird showed well at Miranda. [b]
RED-NECKED STINT (Calidris ruficollis) – Only one individual at Miranda. [b]
MARSH SANDPIPER (Tringa stagnatilis) – A nice shorebird to see at Miranda! [b]
Stercorariidae (Skuas and Jaegers)
BROWN SKUA (SUBANTARCTIC) (Stercorarius antarcticus lonnbergi) – Matt literally had two of these large larids eating out of his hands near Stewart Is!
PARASITIC JAEGER (Stercorarius parasiticus) – We saw a remarkable number of these Arctic Skuas in the Marlborough Sounds. [b]
This gorgeous image of a Tui was shared by participant Gregg Recer.
Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
BLACK-BILLED GULL (Chroicocephalus bulleri) – Largely a gull of inland waters and estuaries in the breeding season. [E]
RED-BILLED GULL (Chroicocephalus scopulinus) – Formerly lumped with the Ozzie Silver Gull. [E]
KELP GULL (Larus dominicanus) – Locally called Southern Black-backed Gull.
CASPIAN TERN (Hydroprogne caspia) – A long way from the Caspian Sea!
BLACK-FRONTED TERN (Chlidonias albostriatus) – The freshwater tern of NZ in the breeding season. [E]
WHITE-FRONTED TERN (Sterna striata) – The salt water tern of NZ in the breeding season.
Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves)
ROCK PIGEON (Columba livia) – Yup. [I]
AFRICAN COLLARED-DOVE (Streptopelia roseogrisea) – Brief views around Auckland. [I]
SPOTTED DOVE (Streptopelia chinensis) – Brief views around Auckland. [I]
NEW ZEALAND PIGEON (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) – Amazing how something so large and garish in color can hide so well! [E]
Cuculidae (Cuckoos)
LONG-TAILED KOEL (Urodynamis taitensis) – A flyby at Pureora showed its bizarre proportions well. [E]
SHINING BRONZE-CUCKOO (Chrysococcyx lucidus) – We heard several before we had the killer looks at Pureora forest.
Strigidae (Owls)
SOUTHERN BOOBOOK (MOREPORK) (Ninox novaeseelandiae novaeseelandiae) – After hearing it on a few kiwi outings, it was good to see one well on our Westland Petrel outing!
Alcedinidae (Kingfishers)
SACRED KINGFISHER (Todiramphus sanctus) – Pretty common (especially once you know the voice), but can be hard to see.
This endemic Stitchbird was very obliging at Tiritiri. Photo by participant Gregg Recer.
Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras)
NEW ZEALAND FALCON (Falco novaeseelandiae) – Our first was the bird near Mark's place in Wanaka, but a few quick views on the North Island were nice. [E]
Strigopidae (New Zealand Parrots)
KEA (Nestor notabilis) – Personable and quirky. Thank goodness, they didn't muscle their way onto the bus! [E]
NEW ZEALAND KAKA (Nestor meridionalis) – After Stewart Island, it's hard to top those looks! [E]
Psittaculidae (Old World Parrots)
RED-CROWNED PARAKEET (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae novaezelandiae) – Mostly on offshore islands these days, but we saw this "Kakariki" well on Ulva and Tiritiri islands.
YELLOW-CROWNED PARAKEET (Cyanoramphus auriceps) – More widespread than the last species on the main islands, but hard to see. [E]
MALHERBE'S PARAKEET (Cyanoramphus malherbi) – Called Orange-fronted Parakeet by Kiwis, but that name can confuse it with a parakeet from Central America (as was made clear by the erroneous use of the latter's image on that identification card on the boat in Marlborough Sound!). [E]
EASTERN ROSELLA (Platycercus eximius) – Mostly brief views of this Ozzie introduction. [I]
Acanthisittidae (New Zealand Wrens)
RIFLEMAN (Acanthisitta chloris) – As you became aware, this is high on my list of favorite NZ birds! I mean, c'mon! How can you not like this little cutie?! [E]
SOUTH ISLAND WREN (Xenicus gilviventris) – Called Rock Wren by Kiwis, this species is local and very hard to detect, with super-high-pitched vocalizations. Kudos to Linda for spotting our pair as they worked on a nest! [E]
Meliphagidae (Honeyeaters)
TUI (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) – One of two NZ honeyeaters, this one is quite distinctive in appearance. It seems to have really recovered from a decline over the past half a century, and is now common over much of the country. [E]
NEW ZEALAND BELLBIRD (Anthornis melanura) – A more typical looking honeyeater, common throughout the country. [E]
Guide Dan Lane's photo of Milford Sound shows two common themes in New Zealand: mountains and sea.
Acanthizidae (Thornbills and Allies)
GRAY GERYGONE (Gerygone igata) – Called "Grey Warbler" by Kiwis, this is an outlier of a group of Ozzie warblers all called Gerygones. [E]
Mohouidae (Whiteheads)
WHITEHEAD (Mohoua albicilla) – A common native forest bird on the North Island. This family, endemic to NZ, seems to replace the chickadees and titmice of the northern hemisphere. [E]
YELLOWHEAD (Mohoua ochrocephala) – The South Island replacement of the last species, but it has suffered a serious decline, unlike the Whitehead. Now restricted to a few locations, such as Ulva Is. [E]
PIPIPI (Mohoua novaeseelandiae) – Called Brown Creeper by Kiwis. Fairly common in native forests of the South Island. [E]
Callaeidae (Wattlebirds)
NORTH ISLAND KOKAKO (Callaeas wilsoni) – After hearing ole' Sundance at Pureora, we saw a pair briefly on Tiritiri. [E]
NORTH ISLAND SADDLEBACK (Philesturnus rufusater) – This and the next have only recently been split by Clements', so it was nice to get both! This one was common on Tiritiri. [E]
SOUTH ISLAND SADDLEBACK (Philesturnus carunculatus) – Great views of a pair on Ulva Island. [E]
Notiomystidae (Stitchbird)
STITCHBIRD (Notiomystis cincta) – An endemic, monotypic family. We enjoyed seeing several on Tiritiri. [E]
Cracticidae (Bellmagpies and Allies)
AUSTRALIAN MAGPIE (Gymnorhina tibicen) – A common species that was introduced from Oz. For all the bad things that can be said about it, it does have a pretty amazing voice. [I]
Rhipiduridae (Fantails)
NEW ZEALAND FANTAIL (Rhipidura fuliginosa) – Fairly common throughout, but particularly nice was that black morph bird in Fiordland! [E]
Rifleman: the irresistibly adorable endemic. Photo by guide Dan Lane.
Corvidae (Crows, Jays, and Magpies)
ROOK (Corvus frugilegus) – As we drove north from the interisland ferry, a small party of these European crows flew alongside us. [I]
Petroicidae (Australasian Robins)
TOMTIT (Petroica macrocephala) – This attractive native forest bird was a song we heard in most native forests around the country. [E]
NEW ZEALAND ROBIN (NORTH ISLAND) (Petroica australis longipes) – This is the form of Robin that was so friendly at Pureora and Tiritiri. [E]
NEW ZEALAND ROBIN (SOUTH ISLAND) (Petroica australis australis) – The form we saw in Fiordland. [E]
NEW ZEALAND ROBIN (SOUTH ISLAND) (Petroica australis rakiura) – This was the Stewart Island form we saw on Ulva Island. [E]
Alaudidae (Larks)
EURASIAN SKYLARK (Alauda arvensis) – A European introduction that is quite common in open country, heard singing from the sky most places we went. [I]
Hirundinidae (Swallows)
WELCOME SWALLOW (Hirundo neoxena) – A natural colonizer from Australia, and common throughout.
Locustellidae (Grassbirds and Allies)
FERNBIRD (Megalurus punctatus) – Once on the North Island, we saw this retiring species several times... never all at once, though. [E]
Zosteropidae (White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies)
SILVER-EYE (Zosterops lateralis) – A historic natural colonizer of NZ from Australia, now pretty common country-wide.
Turdidae (Thrushes and Allies)
EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (Turdus merula) – Common everywhere! [I]
SONG THRUSH (Turdus philomelos) – As Cathy P. pointed out, this European species is far more dense on NZ than in Europe! [I]
The impressive and unfazed Kea. Photo by participant Gregg Recer.
Sturnidae (Starlings)
EUROPEAN STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris) [I]
COMMON MYNA (Acridotheres tristis) – Strictly on the northern 2/3 of the North Island. Introduced from India. [I]
Prunellidae (Accentors)
DUNNOCK (Prunella modularis) – A European accentor we saw most everywhere on the South Island. It seems they are rare or nonexistent on the North Island. [I]
Motacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits)
AUSTRALASIAN PIPIT (Anthus novaeseelandiae) – Formerly part of "Richard's Pipit" but that has been split. In some lists, the New Zealand form has been split from the remainder of the Australasian complex. We enjoyed great views of this stunner at the ski fields at Ruapehu.
Emberizidae (Buntings and New World Sparrows)
YELLOWHAMMER (Emberiza citrinella) – A European introduction that has done pretty well in open country. [I]
Fringillidae (Finches, Euphonias, and Allies)
COMMON CHAFFINCH (Fringilla coelebs) – This and the remaining bird species below were common European introductions that we saw most everywhere! [I]
EUROPEAN GREENFINCH (Chloris chloris) [I]
COMMON REDPOLL (Acanthis flammea) [I]
EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH (Carduelis carduelis) [I]
Passeridae (Old World Sparrows)
HOUSE SPARROW (Passer domesticus) [I]
MAMMALS
COMMON BRUSHTAIL POSSUM (Trichosurus vulpecula) – Mostly DOR (dead on road), but we saw a remarkable 20+ our kiwi outing in Westland. Some of them didn't make it across the road. [I]
EUROPEAN HEDGEHOG (Erinaceus europaeus) – Mostly DOR. [I]
OLD WORLD RABBIT (Oryctolagus cuniculus) – Widespread and common throughout. And they breed like... well... you know. [I]
CAPE HARE (Lepus capensis) – The jackrabbit-like lagomorph we saw on a few occasions. [I]
BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN (Tursiops truncatus) – This dolphin was bow-riding in Hauraki Bay.
SHORT-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHIN (Delphinus delphis) – A few folks saw this dolphin on the Hauraki Bay pelagic.
DUSKY DOLPHIN (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) – Seen on a couple of outings.
HECTOR'S DOLPHIN (Cephalorhynchus hectori) – The small dolphin we saw in Otago Harbor with the "Micky Mouse ear" fin.
STOAT (SHORT-TAILED WEASEL) (Mustela erminea) – A couple of quick eyes may have gotten on this fast and much-despised predator as it zipped across the road. [I]
It is not an emdemic but the Shining Bronze-Cuckoo was a real treat to see well. Photo by participant Gregg Recer.
HOOKER'S SEA LION (Phocarctos hookeri) – Far rarer than the next species, we saw this on the sand beach near Dunedin.
NEW ZEALAND FUR SEAL (Arctocephalus forsteri) – The eared seals we saw the most, often pulled up on rocky shores.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Tuatara (Sphenodon sp.): Cathy and one or two others got a lucky glimpse of one of these rare and largely nocturnal NZ endemic reptiles!
Totals for the tour: 134 bird taxa and 11 mammal taxa