The Eastern Great Egret is a white heron, it is common in Australia, the South Pacific and Asia. In New Zealand, where it is known as the kōtuku, and highly endangered, with only one breeding site at Okarito Lagoon. The species is protected in Australia under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.
Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, their are the only bird to have nostrils at the end of their very long bill and by far the smallest living ratites.
There are two species of Kiwi’s in New Zealand, the Brown Kiwi and the Spotted Kiwi. Within these two species are six varieties of Kiwi: Little Spotted Kiwi, North Island Brown Kiwi, Great Spotted Kiwi, Okarita Brown, Stewart island Brown, Haast Brown
The Saddlebacks or Tieke, its taxonomic family is also known as “wattlebirds”. All members of this family have coloured fleshy appendages on either side of the beak known as “wattles”. In the case of the saddlebacks, they are a vivid red in colour.
Tieke were once widespread throughout New Zealand’s mainland and island forests. Their decline began in the mid 19th century, both North Island saddleback (Philesturnus rufusater) and South Island saddleback (P. carunculatus) were close to extinction. The most endangered of the two species is the South Island saddleback, with only 650 birds in existence.
The North Island saddleback is now resident on nine large islands (7,000 ha) and is in a favourable position to survive. The South Island species is on 11 smaller islands (500 ha) and it needs translocating onto further predator-free islands if it is to recover.
The New Zealand Pigeon or kererū is a bird endemic to New Zealand. Kererū are commonly called wood pigeons but are not the same as the Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus), which is a member of a different genus. Since the extinction of the moa, the kererū and parea are now the only seed dispersers with a bill big enough to swallow large fruit, such as those of karaka, miro, tawa and taraire. The disappearance of these birds could be a disaster for the regeneration of New Zealand native forests.
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