New Zealand Birds

11001-70311 Kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) an early photograph of one of the very last surviving Fiordland males displaying in his 'arena' in the Transit Valley in March 1976 *

11001-52002 Takahe (Porphyrio hochstetteri) a rare flightless giant rail. Adult in winter snow in the Murchison Mountains *

11001-25124 Yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) close up of distinctive yellow eye. Otago Peninsula *

11001-73501 Red-crowned parakeet (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae novaezelandiae) male on forest floor. Although this species is the commonest native bird in captivity, it is almost extinct in the wild on mainland New Zealand, surviving only on predator-free offshore islands *

11001-84305 Tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) male visiting pohutukawa flowers. Otago Peninsula *

11001-60607 Eastern bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica baueri) close up detail of breeding plumage. Miranda *

11001-31901 Australasian gannet (Morus serrator) close up of head. Cape Kidnappers *

11001-01602 Western brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) portrait of a young leucistic female with no pigment in skin and feathers but with pigmented eyes. Hauturu/Little Barrier Island *

11001-85703 European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis britannica) male in gorse hedgerow. The goldfinches long fine beak allows it to extract the seeds from thistles, which are inaccessible to other finches. New Zealand goldfinches originated from England and so are assigned to the subspecies 'brittanica'. Oamaru *

11001-17303 Greater snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea major) resting on rock. East Antarctica *

DSC_2617 Stitchbird or hihi (Notiomystis cincta) confined to North Island. Male with head feathers raised in display. Little Barrier Island *

11001-00201 Upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus) the dried head of an extinct flightless bird once common in the subalpine regions of New Zealand's South Island where it inhabited scrub, grassland and beech forests above 900 m. This remarkable head, the most complete ever found, with even the tongue preserved, was found near Queenstown and sent to the British Museum *

11001-00213 Upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus) skull from Mount Owen, Nelson. This was probably the last species of moa to have gone extinct (vanishing around 1500). This species lived in the South Island high country in beech forests, subalpine scrub and grassland above 900 m *

11001-00205 Upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus) the articulated, feathered leg of an extinct flightless bird once common in the subalpine regions of New Zealand's South Island in beech forests, subalpine scrub and grassland above 900 m . This remarkable leg [Av7474] from the Waikaia Catchment, Otago with its numerous feathers preserves much information about moa plumage *

11001-00209 Upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus) the articulated foot of an extinct flightless bird once common in the subalpine regions of New Zealand's South Island in beech forests, subalpine scrub and grassland above 900 m. This detail from an entire leg [Av7474] from the Waikaia Catchment, Otago shows the pad and scutes *

11001-00208 Upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus) the articulated, feathered leg of an extinct flightless bird once common in the subalpine regions of New Zealand's South Island in beech forests, subalpine scrub and grassland above 900 m. This remarkable leg [Av7474] from the Waikaia Catchment, Otago with its numerous feathers preserves much information about moa plumage *

11001-00219 Upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus) the well preserved foot of an extinct flightless bird once common in the subalpine regions of New Zealand's South Island in beech forests, subalpine scrub and grassland above 900 m. The foot showing fine detail of the pad and scutes, was found in Blowhole Cave, on Mount Owen. Blowhole Cave gets its name from a perpetual draft of cold, dry air, forced through a narrow passage where the foot lay - in effect 'freeze drying' it, until it was discovered *

11001-00220 Upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus) egg of the last species of moa thought to have gone extinct (vanishing around 1500). This moa lived in subalpine areas of the South Island in beech forests, subalpine scrub and grassland above 900 m. [OM Av7469] Chatto Creek, Otago *

11001-01104 North Island giant moa (Dinornis novaezealandiae) a browsing generalist of upland, lowland and open forests. This museum reconstruction was placed in a forested setting at Otari in Wellington. Moa were wiped out by early polynesian colonists who hunted them for food. They were probably extinct by about 1500 *

11001- 01114 North Island giant moa (Dinornis novaezealandiae) a browsing generalist of upland, lowland and open forests. This assembled skeleton was from Takapau Road Swamp, Manukau *

11001- 01107 North Island giant moa (Dinornis novaezealandiae) a browsing generalist of upland, lowland and open forests. This skull and crop stones are from Te Papa museum *

11001-00912 South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus) skull of giant extinct flightless bird once widespread across the South Island of New Zealand. Giant moa may have been the tallest bird that ever lived, with large females standing perhaps 3.6 m (12 ft) tall, and weighing an estimated 230–240 kg (510–530 lb). This species was a browsing generalist of upland, lowland and open forests *

11001-00904 South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus) skull of giant extinct flightless bird once widespread across the South Island of New Zealand. Giant moa may have been the tallest bird that ever lived, with some large females standing perhaps 3.6 m (12 ft) tall, and weighing an estimated 230–240 kg (510–530 lb). This species was a browsing generalist of upland, lowland and open forests *

11001-00919 South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus) skull of an articulated skeleton on cave floor of giant extinct flightless bird once widespread across the South Island of New Zealand. This species was a browsing generalist of upland, lowland and open forests. These bones are of a large female moa. Honeycombe Hill Cave *

11001-00917 South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus) an articulated skeleton on cave floor of giant extinct flightless bird once widespread across the South Island of New Zealand. This species was a browsing generalist of upland, lowland and open forests. These bones are of a large female. Honeycombe Hill Cave *

11001-00916 South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus) an articulated skeleton on cave floor of giant extinct flightless bird once widespread across the South Island of New Zealand. This species was a browsing generalist of upland, lowland and open forests. These bones are of a large female. Honeycombe Hill Cave *

11001-00915 South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus) caver examining articulated skeleton on cave floor of giant extinct flightless bird once widespread across the South Island of New Zealand. This species was a browsing generalist of upland, lowland and open forests. These bones are of a large female moa *

11001-00193 South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus) the mummified lower leg of a large female moa, with the scutes preserved, was found in the Knobby Range, Otago. This giant extinct flightless bird was once widespread across the South Island of New Zealand. This species was a browsing generalist of upland, lowland and open forests. Displayed here together with the skull of its predator, Haast's eagle (Aquila moorei) *

11001-82608 South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus) the artist Theo Schoon's meticulous rendition of the charcoal rock drawings of stylized moa in a limestone rock shelter in the Valley of the Moa, in South Canterbury. Now extinct, this giant bird was widespread in the South Island in the Pleistocene, its range contracted so that in the Holocene it only occurred in mountainous areas, and east of the Southern Alps. Craigmore *

11001-82603 South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus) the artist Theo Schoon's meticulous rendition of the charcoal rock drawings of stylized moa in a limestone rock shelter in the Valley of the Moa, in South Canterbury. Now extinct, this giant bird was widespread in the South Island in the Pleistocene, its range contracted so that in the Holocene it only occurred in mountainous areas, and east of the Southern Alps. Craigmore *

DSC_8101309 South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus) this road sign was a mischievous response to publican Paddy Freaney's 'sighting' of a moa (near his Bealey River Hotel) in 1993, which caused an international media sensation. In reality moa have long been extinct, they were wiped out by polynesian colonists as early as 1500 *

11001-00702 Stout-legged moa (Euryapteryx curtus gravis) skull [S30212] from Paynes Ford, Takaka, of a large extinct flightless bird once abundant in drier climates - typically lowland open forest and coastal sites in the dry eastern regions of both the North and South Islands *

11001-00706 Stout-legged moa (Euryapteryx curtus gravis) egg [OM Av7479] from Ettrick Burn, Otago, of a large extinct flightless bird once abundant in drier climates - typically lowland open forest and coastal sites in the dry eastern regions of both the North and South Islands *

11001-00606 Eastern moa (Emeus crassus) egg assembled from shell fragments, now at Te Papa. Eastern moa lived only in the South Island lowlands, usually below 200m, in lowland forests, and swamps. Females were 15-25% larger than males, and like almost all moa species, they were extinct by 1500 *

11001-00609 Eastern moa (Emeus crassus) pelvis [S27896] showing damage from the giant eagle (Harpagornis). Pyramid Valley. Eastern moa lived only in the South Island lowlands, usually below 200m, in lowland forests, and swamps. Females were 15-25% larger than males, and like almost all moa species, it was extinct by the year 1500 *

11001-00608 Eastern moa (Emeus crassus) pelvis [S27896] showing damage from the giant eagle (Harpagornis). Pyramid Valley. Eastern moa lived only in the South Island lowlands, usually below 200m, in lowland forests, and swamps. Females were 15-25% larger than males, and like almost all moa species, it was extinct by the year 1500 *

11001-00104 Little bush moa (Anomalopteryx didiformis) skull of a large wingless ground bird now extinct but formerly widespread in non-coastal closed canopy forests. [#S35274] from Takaka Hill *

11001-00115 Little bush moa (Anomalopteryx didiformis) skeleton of a large wingless ground bird now extinct but formerly widespread in non-coastal, closed canopy forests *

11001-00116 Little bush moa (Anamalopteryx didiformis) skeleton of a large wingless ground bird now extinct but formerly widespread in non-coastal, closed canopy forests *

11001-00110 Little bush moa (Anomalopteryx didiformis) egg [MNZS457] from Martinborough Cave 5, Haurangi. This large wingless ground bird is now extinct, but it was formerly widespread in non-coastal closed canopy forests *

11001-00101 Little bush moa (Anomalopteryx didiformis) detail of a piece of mummified skin, 390mm long, and with a thick covering of feathers, from a dead female moa. Found together with an almost complete mummified skeleton in 1980 by opossum trapper J R Murdock, in a cave near Lake Echo, east of Lake Te Anau. Now on display in the Southland Museum *

11001-00302 Heavy-footed moa (Pachyornis elephantopus) eggshell of large wingless ground bird now extinct but formerly widespread in the South Island lowland forest edges, wetland margins, shrubland, duneland and grassland. This is one of W.B.D. Mantell's original reconstructions [MNZS00002] from Awamoa, near Oamaru *

11001-00401 Crested moa (Pachyornis australis) skull [S27896] from Honeycomb Hill Cave, Karamea. This moa lived in the far north and far south of the South Island in subalpine grassland, and could cope with the cold alpine terrain there. Cranial pits in the skull, suggest it may have been crested *

DSC_6416 Eastern brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) pair outside nest burrow entrance, with male just emerging from nest *

DSC_6418 Eastern brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) pair outside nest burrow entrance, with male just emerging from nest *

11001-01210 Eastern brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) foraging *

11001-01209 Eastern brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) probing *

DSC_2452 Western brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) male entering burrow beneath brown tree fern *

11001-01220 Eastern brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) fishing *

11001-01903 Eastern brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) fishing *