FERAL PIGEON

Photographed at Miranda, June 2017

(*  114)                 FERAL PIGEON              Columba livia      

NEW ZEALAND                 52

Also known as Rock Pigeon. 33 cm. European introduction found throughout New Zealand except south-east of South Island. Found in city parks and streets; grain stores, wharfs and railways stations; in rural areas favour drier arable farmland.

LITTLE SHAG

Photographed at Miranda, June 2017

(*  138)                 LITTLE SHAG                Phalacrocorax melanoleucos 

NEW ZEALAND                   51

Also known as Little Pied Cormorant. A common native all over New Zealand. 56 cm. Found in lakes, ponds, rivers and streams, also estuaries, harbours and sheltered coastal waters.

BLACK-BILLED GULL

Photographed at Miranda, June 2017

1201                BLACK-BILLED GULL               Larus bulleri

NEW ZEALAND                50

Locally common endemic to New Zealand. 37 cm. Breeds on riverbeds and lake margins of South Island. Feeds inland in wet paddocks, ploughed fields and over lakes, also coastal waters, beaches and estuaries.

Photographed at Napier, New Zealand, June 2017

WHITE-FRONTED TERN

Photographed at Miranda, June 2017

1200                 WHITE-FRONTED TERN               Sterna striata  

NEW ZEALAND               49

Favours coastal waters and harbours, roosts on sandbanks or sandpits, rarely inland. 42 cm. A small number breed in Bass Strait, Australia, the rest, 15,000-20,000 pairs are New Zealands most abundant tern found all around the coast and on off-shore islands.

CASPIAN TERN

Photographed at Miranda, June 2017

(*   542)               CASPIAN TERN               Hydroprogne caspia

NEW ZEALAND            48

An uncommon native in New Zealand; about 4,00 birds in NZ, breeding widely; colonies found on sandpits, and shellbacks of coast and harbours, some parts of riverbeds and lake shores. Feeds in off-shore waters.

SOUTH ISLAND PIED OYSTERCATCHER

Photographed at Miranda, June 2017

1199                SOUTH ISLAND PIED OYSTERCATCHER              Haematopus finschi  

NEW ZEALAND                47

Endemic to New Zealand, most of South Island and around the coast of North Island. 46 cm. Breeds inland on riverbeds and farmland, mainly on South Island; most of the c. 80,000 birds migrate and spend Jan-Jul on estuaries of North Island or north of South Island.

YELLOWHAMMER

Photographed at Miranda, June 2017

1198                YELLOWHAMMER              Emberiza citrinella

NEW ZEALAND               46

European introduction common throughout New Zealand. 16 cm. Found in open country from sea level tosubalpine, especially arable farmland or rough pasture with scattered scrub.

GREY TEAL

Photographed at Miranda, June 2017

(*    469)                   GREY TEAL               Anas gracilis 

NEW ZEALAND                  45

Found in lowland lakes and lagoons, and estuaries. 43 cm. Found all over North Island and the eastern half of South Island.

BAR-TAILED GODWIT

Photographed at Miranda, June 2017

(*   208)                    BAR-TAILED GODWIT                Limosa lapponica

NEW ZEALAND                 44

Breeds in Arctic in Eurasia and Alaska; eastern race baueri migrates to Australasia, especially NZ estuaries, sandy beaches and shores of coastal lakes; each summer c. 90,000 visit with c. 10% staying for winter.

ROYAL SPOONBILL

Photographed at Miranda, June 2017

(*   69)              ROYAL SPOONBILL                 Platalea regia 

NEW ZEALAND              43

Found on tidal mudflats, occasionally on margins of freshwater lakes. 77 cm. Distribution along the coasts of both islands, main breeding colonies at Parengarenga Harbour, Kapiti Island, Okarito, Vernon Lagoons, and islands off Otago and Southland coasts.

MALLARD

Photographed at Miranda, June 2017

(*   141)               MALLARD                 Anas platyrhynchos 

NEW ZEALAND                  42

European introduction found throughout New Zealand. 58 cm. Found in wetlands, estuaries, rivers, farm ditches, parks and cereal crops.

SPOTTED DOVE

Photographed at Miranda, June 2017

(*   50)                    SPOTTED DOVE                  Streptopelia chinensis 

NEW ZEALAND               41

Found in suburban parks, gardens, farmland and orchards. 30 cm. Asian introduction; locally common around Auckland, South Auckland and near Te Puke and Opotiki.

STARLING

Photographed at Miranda, June 2017

(*  28)               STARLING               Sturnus vulgaris 

NEW ZEALAND             40

Found in farmland, orchards, parks, gardens, city streets, forest margins and beaches. 21 cm. A European introduction now found throughout New Zealand.    

SKYLARK

(*   735)                  SKYLARK             Alauda arvensis     

NEW ZEALAND                39

Found in open country from coast to alpine. 18 cm. Common European introduction now found all over New Zealand.

PIED STILT

(*   22)                 PIED STILT                 Himantopus himantopus 

NEW ZEALAND             38

Breeds on riverbeds, lake margins, and damp pastures. 35 cm. An abundant native in New Zealand; most of the 30,000 birds in NZ form flocks at estuaries and lakes outside breeding season; many South Island and southern North Island birds migrate to northern North Island after breeding season.

Photographed at Napier, New Zealand June 2017

BLACK-BACKED GULL

(*   282)            BLACK-BACKED GULL             Larus dominicanus

NEW ZEALAND               37

Ranges widely, feeds at rubbish tips, farmland, ploughed fields, beaches, harbours and behind boats, but rarely far out to sea. 60 cm. Breeds in circumpolar subantarctic; in New Zealand region, breeds on mainland coast, offshore and most outlying islands; also breeds far inland on riverbeds, near lakes and alpine tarns.

EASTERN ROSELLA

Photographed on Tiri Tiri Matangi, June 2017

(*   91)              EASTERN ROSELLA                  Platycercus eximius  

NEW ZEALAND           36

Introduced from Australia, now over most of North Island and a pocket in se South Island. 32 cm. Found in lightly wooded country but also uses forest and urban parks and gardens.

AUSTRALASIAN GANNET

Photographed on Tiri Tiri Matangi, June 2017

(*  231)                  AUSTRALASIAN GANNET                  Morus serrator

NEW ZEALAND                  35

Feeds mostly in coastal waters over the continental shelf. 89 cm. Breeds on many islands and some headlands around the coast of New Zealand.

NOTE: most juveniles move to the seas off eastern and southern Australia and return to New Zealand waters when 3-7 cm.

BROWN TEAL

Photographed on Tiri Tiri Matangi, June 2017

1197                   BROWN TEAL                Anas chlorotis  

NEW ZEALND              34

A rare endemic, the 2000-2500 Brown Teal are mostly on Great Barrier Island, east Northland and Coromandel. 48 cm. Found in tidal creeks, lagoons and swamps, and adjacent pastures.