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Story: Small forest birds

Distribution of small forest birds

  • Rifleman

  • Bellbird

  • Tūī

  • North Island robin

  • South Island robin

  • New Zealand tomtit

  • Whitehead

  • Yellowhead

  • Brown creeper

  • Shining cuckoo

  • Long-tailed cuckoo

  • Parakeet species

Click on the name of a species to see its distribution.

Fantails, silvereyes and grey warblers are not shown – they are found all over the main islands. Some parakeets and the Chatham Island warbler are just on specific offshore islands. Saddlebirds and stitchbirds are extinct on the mainland, and are on only a small number of conservation islands and sanctuaries.

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Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

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How to cite this page

Christina Troup, Small forest birds – New Zealand’s small forest birds, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/12454/distribution-of-small-forest-birds (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Christina Troup, published 1 March 2009, updated 1 August 2023.