Endemic birds of New Zealand facts for kids

Many of New Zealand's birds are endemic to the country, that is, they are not found in any other country. Endemic species differ to native or indigenous species, in that native / indigenous species have generally, and historically, migrated to a region or country and become established over a long period of time, whereas endemic species, essentially have only ever inhabited the region or country they were first discovered in. Approximately 71% of the bird species breeding in New Zealand before humans arrived are widely accepted as being endemic.

Endemic bird areas

BirdLife International has defined the following Endemic Bird Areas (EBAs) in New Zealand:

In addition the following are classified as secondary areas:

Antipodes Islands
Snares Islands and Stewart Island/Rakiura islets

Secondary areas have at least one restricted-range bird species, but do not meet the criteria for EBAs.

List of species

This is a list of bird species endemic to New Zealand, along with their conservation status:

North Island brown kiwi

Antipodes Island parakeet- Vulnerable
Auckland Island shag- Vulnerable
Auckland rail- Vulnerable
Auckland teal- Vulnerable
Banded dotterel- Least concern
Bellbird (korimako)- Least concern
Black robin- Endangered
Black stilt (kaki)- Critically endangered
Black-billed gull- Endangered
Black-fronted tern- Endangered
Blue duck (whio)- Endangered
Bounty Island shag- Vulnerable
Brown teal (pāteke)- Endangered
Campbell Island shag- Vulnerable
Campbell snipe
Campbell teal- Endangered
Chatham Island oystercatcher- Endangered
Chatham Island shag- Critically endangered
Chatham Island snipe- Vulnerable
Chatham Island warbler- Least concern
Chatham parakeet- Endangered
Fernbird (matata)- Least concern
Fiordland crested penguin (tawaki)- Vulnerable
Foveaux shag- Vulnerable
Great spotted kiwi- Vulnerable
Grey warbler (riroriro)- Least concern
Kaka- Endangered
Kakapo- Critically endangered
Kea- Vulnerable
King shag- Vulnerable
Little spotted kiwi- Near threatened
Long-tailed cuckoo (koekoea)- Least concern
Malherbe's parakeet (orange-fronted parakeet)- Critically endangered
New Zealand dotterel- Endangered
New Zealand falcon- Near threatened
New Zealand grebe (weweia)- Vulnerable
New Zealand pigeon (kereru)- Near threatened
New Zealand scaup- Least concern
Pipit (pihoihoi)- Least concern
South Island robin- Least concern
North Island robin- Least concern
North Island brown kiwi- Endangered
North Island kōkako- Endangered
North Island saddleback- Near threatened
Otago shag- Vulnerable
Okarito brown kiwi- Critically endangered
Paradise shelduck- Least concern
Brown creeper (pipipi)- Least concern
Pitt shag- Endangered
Rock wren (piwauwau)- Vulnerable
Red-billed gull- Least concern
Red-fronted parakeet (kākāriki)- Vulnerable
Rifleman (titipounamu)- Least concern
Shore plover- Endangered
Snares snipe
South Island kōkako- Data Deficient (probably extinct)
South Island oystercatcher- Least concern
South Island saddleback
Southern brown kiwi- Vulnerable
Spotted shag (parekareka)- Least concern
Stitchbird (hihi)- Vulnerable
Subantarctic snipe- Near threatened
Takahe- Endangered
Tomtit (miromiro)- Least concern
Tui- Least concern
Variable oystercatcher- Least concern
Weka- Vulnerable
Whitehead (popokatea)- Least concern
Wrybill- Vulnerable
Yellow-crowned parakeet (kākāriki)- Near threatened
Yellow-eyed penguin (hoiho)- Endangered
Yellowhead (mohoua)- Endangered

The following seabird species are endemic as breeders:

Southern royal albatross

Black petrel
Buller's albatross
Buller's shearwater
Chatham petrel
Cook's petrel
Erect-crested penguin
Fiordland crested penguin
Fluttering shearwater
Hutton's shearwater
Magenta petrel
Mottled petrel
Pycroft's petrel
Snares crested penguin
Southern royal albatross
Westland petrel
White-necked petrel
Yellow-eyed penguin