New Zealand Birds

Traveling in New Zealand really felt exotic with the sounds of the birds. I have most of the ones we came to love here. With the exception of the Tui, but it was with us almost daily. The Vermont group had bird books and could identify just about anything. This is the wealth of my knowledge right here, please check out the links. I hope you enjoy the Bellbird , Kea, Takahe, and the Kiwi,. Another bird we saw was the New Zealand Pigeon. It was perhaps a bit more colorful then the one we have grown to loathe, as it was a bit somewhat lavender. When someone asked Tim what it was and he responded the New Zealand Pigeon, I thought he was joking, and maybe did not know the name, but indeed that is the name.

The Bell Bird was as delightful to hear as the Tui.

I sure heard it a lot but do not recollect seeing it. This is from a post card.

The Kea supposedly eats rubber, and one must watch out for any rubber, like around your windshield! Horrors! I saw a big bird something like this fly out of the high grass during my ride from Haast Pass to Blue Ponds. When we arrived in Makarora and went to the Department of Conservation, we decided it may have been a different bird. Cindy also had a similar experience that day. The bird was so big and hidden in the tall grass it really alarmed me when it suddenly appeared.

The KIWI is the National Bird of New Zealand and it is nocturnal. We were able to view one in a special setting at a park in Queenstown. In addition please read the legend of the Kiwi from the Maori.

The Takahe is the bird the resting house was named after on the Banks Peninsula outside of Christchurch City. It is now a very plush restaurant.

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