Birds

Listen to the gregarious sulphur-crested cockatoo, which were introduced to New Zealand in the late 19th Century and soon established wild populations. Audio

Although it's duck hunting season, no shots get fired and no Paradise Ducks get harmed as Hugh Robertson and I find a pair of "paris". Audio

Listen to the pied shag, that are generally silent away from nesting colonies, but quite vocal at colonies during pair formation, nest building and when one of a pair returns to nest during… Audio

Listen to the pied stilt, a highly gregarious wader with very long pink legs and a long, fine, black bill. Audio

Evolutionary biologist and Director of the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA at the University of Adelaide, whose paper on the evolutionary history of the kiwi was published this week in the journal… Audio

Listen to the kakīānau, whose voice is generally described as “a musical bugling”. Audio

Listen to the brown creeper, a insectivorous songbird found in forest and shrub lands in the South Island, whose call include a range of chatters, trills and zicks. Audio

Listen to our inquisitive and mischievous mountain parrot, considered to be one of the most intelligent birds in the world. Audio

“Often in the bright sunshine, scores may be observed, with loud screams and chatter, flying and circling about, and, high above the outskirts of the bush, apparently bent on enjoying some short… Audio

Listen to the South Island robin, territorial songsters – particularly the bachelors – who sing loudly and often for many minutes at a time. Audio

Listen to the South Island fernbird, a skulking sparrow-sized bird, more often heard than seen, with a characteristic ‘u-tick’ sung as a duet by pairs. Audio

Listen to the North Island fantail, one of our most cheeky, charming and confiding birds, known for its chattering call and acrobatic antics. Audio

Listen to the shining cuckoo, a cryptically-coloured summer migrant to Aotearoa with a distinctive whistling call. Audio

Listen to the whitehead, a gregarious songbird that lives in noisy groups of up to eight members and are often heard before they are seen. Audio

Listen to call of the cuckoo whose tail is long again as its body. Audio

Listen to our native owl, seen in Māori tradition as a watchful guardian belonging to the spirit world. Audio

Listen to the mallard, the ducks that gather en masse whenever bread is thrown out at an urban pond. Audio

Listen to the showy peafowl, which were first introduced into New Zealand in the 1840s as ornamental birds, but have since established feral populations. Audio

In his book 'Bird Sense: What It's Like to Be A Bird' the British zoologist Tim Birkhead examines how birds see and hear and experience the world around them. Audio

Listen to the Antarctic tern, a medium-sized tern with a white rump and forked tail. Audio