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Story: Land birds – overview

New Zealand's land birds

Order Dinornithiformes (endemic order)
Moa – Family Megalapterygidae (endemic family)
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
Upland moa (extinct) Megalapteryx didinus Endemic
Moa – Family Emeidae (endemic family)
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
Subfamily Anomalopteryginae
Little bush moa (extinct) Anomalopteryx didiformis Endemic
Mantell’s moa (extinct) Pachyornis geranoides Endemic
Heavy-footed moa (extinct) Pachyornis elephantopus Endemic
Crested moa (extinct) Pachyornis australis Endemic
Subfamily Emeinae
Eastern moa (extinct) Emeus crassus Endemic
Stout-legged moa (extinct) Euryapteryx curtus Endemic
Moa – Family Dinornithidae (endemic family)
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
North Island giant moa (extinct) Dinornis novaezealandiae Endemic
South Island giant moa (extinct) Dinornis robustus Endemic
Order Casuariiformes
Kiwi – Family Apterygidae (endemic family)
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
North Island brown kiwi Apteryx mantelli Endemic
Rowi (Ōkārito brown kiwi) Apteryx rowi Endemic
Tokoeka (southern brown kiwi) Apteryx australis Endemic
South Island brown kiwi Apteryx australis australis Endemic
Stewart Island brown kiwi Apteryx australis lawryi Endemic
Little spotted kiwi Apteryx owenii Endemic
Great spotted kiwi Apteryx haastii Endemic
Order Galliformes
Partridges, quails, pheasants and turkeys – Family Phasianidae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
New Zealand quail/koreke (extinct) Coturnix novaezelandiae Endemic
Order Accipitriformes
Kites, eagles, hawks and allies – Family Accipitridae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
Swamp harrier/kāhu Circus approximans Native
Eyles’s harrier (extinct) Circus teauteensis Endemic
Haast’s eagle (extinct) Aquila moorei Endemic
Order Falconiformes
Falcons – Family Falconidae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
New Zealand falcon/kārearea Falco novaeseelandiae Endemic
Order Gruiformes
Adzebills – Family Aptornithidae (endemic family)
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
North Island adzebill (extinct) Aptornis otidiformis Endemic
South Island adzebill (extinct) Aptornis defossor Endemic
Rails, gallinules and coots – Family Rallidae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
Auckland Island rail Lewinia muelleri Endemic
North Island weka Gallirallus australis greyi Endemic subspecies
Western weka Gallirallus australis australis Endemic subspecies
Buff weka Gallirallus australis hectori Endemic subspecies
Stewart Island weka Gallirallus australis scotti Endemic subspecies
Chatham Island rail/mātirakahu (extinct) Cabalus modestus Chathams endemic
Snipe-rail (extinct) Capellirallus karamu Endemic
Hawkins’ rail/mehonui (extinct) Diaphorapteryx hawkinsi Chathams endemic
Pūkeko Porphyrio melanotus melanotus Native
North Island takahē (extinct) Porphyrio mantelli Endemic
South Island takahē Porphyrio hochstetteri Endemic
Order Charadriiformes
Sandpipers and allies – Family Scolopacidae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
North Island snipe (extinct) Coenocorypha barrierensis Endemic
South Island snipe/tutukiwi (extinct) Coenocorypha iredalei Endemic
Forbes’ snipe (extinct) Coenocorypha chathamica Chathams endemic
Chatham Island snipe Coenocorypha pusilla Chathams endemic
Snares Island snipe Coenocorypha huegeli Snares endemic
Subantarctic snipe Coenocorypha aucklandica Endemic
Auckland Island snipe Coenocorypha aucklandica aucklandica Auckland Island endemic subspecies
Antipodes Island snipe Coenocorypha aucklandica meinertzhagenae Antipodes Island endemic subspecies
Campbell Island snipe Coenocorypha aucklandica perseverance Campbell Island endemic subspecies
Order Columbiformes
Pigeons and doves – Family Columbidae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
Kererū/New Zealand pigeon Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae Endemic
Parea/Chatham Island pigeon Hemiphaga chathamensis Chathams endemic
Order Psittaciformes
Kākāpō and allies – Family Strigopidae (endemic family)
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
Kākāpō Strigops habroptilus Endemic
Kākā and kea – Subfamily Nestorinae
North Island kākā Nestor meridionalis septentrionalis Endemic subspecies
South Island kākā Nestor meridionalis meridionalis Endemic subspecies
Chatham Island kākā (extinct) Nestor chathamensis Chathams endemic
Kea Nestor notabilis Endemic
Parrots – Family Psittacidae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
Kermadec parakeet Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae cyanurus Kermadec Island endemic subspecies
Red-crowned parakeet/kākāriki Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae novaezelandiae Endemic
Chatham Island red-crowned parakeet Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae chathamensis Chathams endemic subspecies
Yellow-crowned parakeet/kākāriki Cyanoramphus auriceps Endemic
Orange-fronted parakeet/kākāriki Cyanoramphus malherbi Endemic
Forbes’ parakeet Cyanoramphus forbesi Chathams endemic
Antipodes Island parakeet Cyanoramphus unicolor Antipodes Island endemic
Reischek’s parakeet Cyanoramphus hochstetteri Endemic
Order Cuculiformes
Cuckoos – Family Cuculidae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
Shining cuckoo/pīpīwharauroa Chrysococcyx lucidus lucidus Endemic subspecies
Long-tailed cuckoo/koekoeā Eudynamys taitensis Endemic
Order Strigiformes
Owls – Family Strigidae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
Morepork/ruru Ninox novaeseelandiae novaeseelandiae Endemic subspecies
North Island laughing owl (extinct) Sceloglaux albifacies rufifacies Endemic subspecies
South Island laughing owl/whēkau (extinct) Sceloglaux albifacies albifacies Endemic subspecies
Order Apodiformes
Owlet-nightjars – Family Aegothelidae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
New Zealand owlet-nightjar (extinct) Aegotheles novaezealandiae Endemic
Order Coraciiformes
Forest kingfishers – Family Halcyonidae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
Sacred kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus Native
New Zealand kingfisher/kōtare Todiramphus sanctus vagans Endemic subspecies
Order Passeriformes
New Zealand wrens – Family Acanthisittidae (endemic family)
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
North Island rifleman/tītiti pounamu Acanthisitta chloris granti Endemic subspecies
South Island rifleman/tītiti pounamu Acanthisitta chloris chloris Endemic subspecies
North Island bush wren (extinct) Xenicus longipes stokesii Endemic subspecies
South Island bush wren/mātuhi (extinct) Xenicus longipes longipes Endemic subspecies
Stead’s bush wren (extinct) Xenicus longipes variabilis Endemic subspecies
Rock wren Xenicus gilviventris Endemic
Lyall’s wren (extinct) Traversia lyalli Endemic
North Island stout-legged wren (extinct) Pachyplichas jagmi Endemic
South Island stout-legged wren (extinct) Pachyplichas yaldwyni Endemic
Long-billed wren (extinct) Dendroscansor decurvirostris Endemic
New Zealand wattlebirds – Family Callaeidae (endemic family)
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
North Island kōkako Callaeas wilsoni Endemic
South Island kōkako (possibly extinct) Callaeas cinerea Endemic
North Island saddleback/tīeke Philesturnus rufusater Endemic
South Island saddleback/tīeke Philesturnus carunculatus Endemic
Huia (extinct) Heteralocha acutirostris Endemic
Hihi (stitchbird) – Family Notiomystidae (endemic family)
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
Stitchbird/hihi Notiomystis cincta Endemic
Old World orioles – Family Oriolidae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
North Island piopio (extinct) Turnagra tanagra Endemic
Stephens Island piopio (extinct) Turnagra capensis minor Endemic subspecies
South Island piopio (extinct) Turnagra capensis capensis Endemic subspecies
Scrubwrens, thornbills and allies – Family Acanthizidae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
Grey warbler/rioriro Gerygone igata Endemic
Chatham Island warbler Gerygone albofrontata Chathams endemic
Honeyeaters – Family Meliphagidae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
Three Kings bellbird Anthornis melanura obscura Endemic subspecies
Poor Knights bellbird Anthornis melanura oneho Endemic subspecies
Bellbird/korimako Anthornis melanura melanura Endemic subspecies
Chatham Island bellbird (extinct) Anthornis melanocephala Chathams endemic
Tūī Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae novaeseelandiae Endemic subspecies
Chatham Island tūī Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae chathamensis Chathams endemic subspecies
Whiteheads and allies – Family Mohouidae (endemic family)
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
Whitehead/pōpokotea Mohoua albicilla Endemic
Yellowhead/mohua Mohoua ochrocephala Endemic
Brown creeper/pīpipi Mohoua novaeseelandiae Endemic
Fantails – Family Rhipiduridae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
North Island fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa placabilis Endemic subspecies
South Island fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa fuliginosa Endemic subspecies
Chatham Island fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa penita Chathams endemic subspecies
Crows and ravens – Family Corvidae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
North Island raven (extinct) Corvus antipodum antipodum  Endemic subspecies
South Island raven (extinct) Corvus antipodum pycrafti Endemic subspecies
Chatham Island raven (extinct) Corvus moriorum Chathams endemic
Australasian robins – Family Petroicidae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
North Island tomtit/miromiro Petroica macrocephala toitoi Endemic subspecies
South Island tomtit/ngiru-ngiru Petroica macrocephala macrocephala Endemic subspecies
Chatham Island tomtit Petroica macrocephala chathamensis Chathams endemic subspecies
Snares Island tomtit Petroica macrocephala dannefaerdi Snares endemic subspecies
Auckland Island tomtit Petroica macrocephala marrineri Auckland Islands endemic subspecies
North Island robin/toutouwai Petroica longipes Endemic
South Island robin/kakaruai Petroica australis australis Endemic subspecies
Stewart Island robin Petroica australis rakiura Endemic subspecies
Black robin Petroica traversi Chathams endemic
Grassbirds and allies – Family Megaluridae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
North Island fernbird Bowdleria punctata vealeae Endemic subspecies
South Island fernbird Bowdleria punctata punctata Endemic subspecies
Stewart Island fernbird Bowdleria punctata stewartiana Endemic subspecies
Codfish Island fernbird Bowdleria punctata wilsoni Endemic subspecies
Snares Island fernbird Bowdleria punctata caudata Snares endemic subspecies
Chatham Island fernbird (extinct) Bowdleria rufescens Chathams endemic
White-eyes – Family Zosteropidae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
Silvereye/tauhou Zosterops lateralis Native
Swallows and martins – Family Hirundinidae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
Welcome swallow Hirundo neoxena neoxena Native
Wagtails and pipits – Family Motacillidae
Common name Species (or subspecies) Status
New Zealand pipit/pīhoihoi Anthus novaeseelandiae novaeseelandiae Endemic subspecies
Chatham Island pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae chathamensis Chathams endemic subspecies
Auckland Island pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae aucklandicus Auckland Island endemic subspecies
Antipodes Island pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae steindachneri Antipodes Island endemic subspecies

This table lists New Zealand's land birds, including those that are extinct, grouped by order (and within those, by family and subfamily). Some species are native – that is, native to New Zealand but also found elsewhere in the world – while others are endemic (only found in New Zealand).

Using this item

Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source:New Zealand Birds Online

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Kerry-Jayne Wilson, Land birds – overview – Land bird groups and their origins, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/46564/new-zealands-land-birds (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Kerry-Jayne Wilson, published 26 May 2015.