Many of the South Island's birds live nowhere else on earth. Where to find the most remarkable of them, from alpine parrots to the world's rarest wading bird.
New Zealand's South Island is home to birds found nowhere else on earth. Kea, the world's only alpine parrot, live around Arthur's Pass and Aoraki/Mount Cook, the critically endangered kakī feeds in the Mackenzie Basin, white-flippered penguins breed on Banks Peninsula, and the Otago Peninsula holds the world's only mainland breeding colony of royal albatross.
Many of these species evolved without land mammals to fear, which makes them remarkable to watch and vulnerable to change. Here is where to find the most memorable of them, when to go, and how to watch well.
Kea: the alpine parrot
Kea are the world's only true alpine parrots, living in the beech forests and mountain country of the South Island. They are olive green with a flash of vivid orange beneath the wing, famously intelligent, and endlessly curious about people, vehicles and anything left unattended.
The best places to meet them are Arthur's Pass and Aoraki/Mount Cook national parks. Our Arthur's Pass tours travel through the heart of their range, and kea often appear at lookouts along the way. Watch them and photograph them, but never feed them: human food harms them and teaches them to linger around roads.
Kakī: the world's rarest wading bird
The kakī, or black stilt, is one of the rarest birds on earth. Once common across New Zealand, its wild breeding population is now confined to the braided rivers and wetlands of the Mackenzie Basin and the upper Waitaki, and it numbers only in the low hundreds after decades of intensive conservation work.
A sighting is never guaranteed, but the river flats around Twizel are its stronghold. Canterbury Trails guides travel this country on the journey from Christchurch to Aoraki/Mount Cook, and know where a pause beside the water is worthwhile.
Birds of the braided rivers
Canterbury's wide braided rivers are an internationally important habitat in their own right. The wrybill, a small grey plover, breeds on their shingle beds and is the only bird in the world with a beak that curves sideways. Oystercatchers, dotterels and terns nest on the same stony islands in spring, which is why the riverbeds need care during the breeding season.
White-flippered penguins on Banks Peninsula
The white-flippered penguin is a Canterbury speciality, a form of the little penguin, kororā, with distinctive white markings on its flippers. It breeds in significant numbers only on Banks Peninsula and Motunau Island, and its population has declined sharply, which makes the protected colonies in the peninsula's outer bays so valuable.
Banks Peninsula is also home to Hector's dolphins, found only in New Zealand and among the smallest dolphins in the world, and our guide to where to see Hector's dolphins covers Akaroa Harbour in detail. Our Akaroa tours explore the peninsula's harbour and coast.
Seabirds at Kaikōura
Kaikōura is one of the most rewarding places in the country for seabirds. A deep undersea canyon lies close to the shore, bringing rich feeding grounds within sight of land, and albatross, petrels and shearwaters gather offshore for much of the year. Even from the coastline, the variety can be striking.
Our Kaikōura tours combine the coast road north with the marine life that makes the town famous.
Royal albatross and hoiho on the Otago Peninsula
At Taiaroa Head, also known as Pukekura, at the tip of the Otago Peninsula near Dunedin, royal albatross breed on the mainland, the only place in the world where they do. The first pair nested there in 1920, and today the colony draws visitors from around the world to watch birds with a wingspan of around three metres glide past the headland.
The same peninsula is home to hoiho, the yellow-eyed penguin, one of the rarest penguins on earth, whose numbers on the Otago Peninsula have fallen steeply since the 1990s. The private two-day journey from Queenstown through Fiordland to the Otago Peninsula brings this coast within reach.
Watching birds well
- Keep your distance. Penguins coming ashore at dusk are easily frightened back to sea. Stay well back, and use viewing hides where they exist.
- Never feed wildlife. This applies to kea above all.
- Bring binoculars. Many of the best sightings, from albatross to wrybill, are at a distance.
- Go with local knowledge. A guide who knows the seasons and the habits of each species will put you in the right place at the right time.
Canterbury Trails has shared these landscapes with guests for three decades, and a private day can be shaped around the birds on your list.
Common questions
Where can you see kea in New Zealand?
Kea live only in the South Island, in its mountain country and beech forests. Arthur's Pass and Aoraki/Mount Cook national parks are two of the best places to see them.
What is the rarest bird in the South Island?
The kakī, or black stilt, is among the rarest. It is the world's rarest wading bird, and its wild breeding population is confined to the Mackenzie Basin and the upper Waitaki.
Where can you see penguins near Christchurch?
White-flippered penguins, a Canterbury speciality, breed on Banks Peninsula, an easy day trip from Christchurch. They come ashore at dusk and should always be watched from a respectful distance.
Where is the royal albatross colony in New Zealand?
The royal albatross colony is at Taiaroa Head, or Pukekura, at the tip of the Otago Peninsula near Dunedin. It is the only mainland breeding colony of royal albatross in the world.
For an introduction to the walks where many of these birds live, read our guide to the Aoraki/Mount Cook walks worth doing, or tell us which birds you hope to see and we will plan around them.
