Experience some of the world's rarest birds
Birds have a special place in the folklore of New Zealand Maori, who believed the graceful winged creatures to be messengers from the spirit world.
New Zealanders still hold their native birds in high esteem, and have created sanctuaries and conservation reserves throughout the country where bird populations are nurtured and humans can observe the birds in their native habitat.
Many endangered birds and reptiles have been transferred to safe havens just off the coast, like the islands of Tiritiri Matangi and Little Barrier.
Tiritiri Matangi, four kilometres off Auckland’s east coast, is one of the most successful conservation projects in the world, and provides a pest-free habitat for a number of rare and endangered species. More than 20,000 visitors visit each year, most by ferry, to walk the tracks and see and hear saddleback, takahe, kokako and North Island robin.
The Kapiti Island Nature Reserve, five kilometres off the west coast at the bottom of the North Island, is one of the country’s most important sites for bird recovery. Species such as the kakariki (red-crowned parakeet), robin and bellbird have increased since the eradication of rats from the 1900 hectare island. The little spotted kiwi, now extinct from the mainland forests, thrives on Kapiti Island. Fifty people are allowed to visit the island each day.
Off the southernmost tip of the South Island, Ulva Island is an open sanctuary managed by the Department of Conservation, which has escaped the invasion of predators, making it a perfect place for native birds to prosper.
Here, visitors are likely to be greeted by an inquisitive weka and a chattering kaka, before being enchanted by the chorus of native songbirds - the tui, bellbird, fantail and grey warbler.
Mainland sanctuaries are also being set up to protect native species. Minutes away from the centre of the country’s bustling, Wellington, is a community-run safe haven, the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary.
A predator-proof fence encircles the eight kilometre perimeter of the sanctuary, protecting the wildlife and ensuring the forest regenerates to its former glory. The philosophy behind the sanctuary is to allow humans to experience and learn from the precious natural heritage.
Visitors can return at night for a nocturnal tour to hear the call of the morepork - otherwise known as ruru, the native owl - or spot a kiwi probing through the leaf litter with its trademark long beak.
The Pukaha Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre, in the northern Wairarapa, is the first place where captive breeding techniques for some of the country’s most threatened birds was pioneered.
At Kiwi Encounter in Rotorua, visitors can see conservation in action as kiwi are hatched and nurtured before being released into the wild as mature birds. A kiwi chick’s chance of survival increases from five percent to almost 70 percent if it is hatched in captivity.
New Zealand’s unique wildlife isn’t just found in sanctuaries, birds can be seen and heard virtually everywhere in New Zealand - even in the cities, where tui warble from kowhai trees in suburban backyards.
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