• Home Page
• Birding Articles
• Contact Us

"The diversity of New Zealand’s birdlife focused on an environment free of mammals ( the only indigenous species of mammals are 2 species of bats) in which bird adapted to fill the available niches. Island environments are inherently fragile and with the lack of predators many birds became flightless, and for birders interested in New Zealand the Kiwi is the best known."

Rob Lawrence
Birding Guide

Beyond birding: two other unique New Zealand species

New Zealand’s uniqueness is not just restricted to it’s birds. Several other species share this “slice of heaven “ (in reference to another famous kiwi lyric) and are just as fascinating on birding tours.

Tuatara

Photo courtesy DOC Click for bigger picture

Tuatara are the only surviving representatives of the order Sphenodonida, a group of reptiles commonly found worldwide during the Mesozoic. These are living dinosaurs. Some 65 Million years ago, when dinosaurs became extinct in all other parts of the world, the reptiles of New Zealand were spared.

The Maöri name translates to “peaks on back”, referring to the dorsal spines characteristic of the Tuatara. They have several interesting features: one of the longest incubation periods of any reptile, no external ears and a third eye covered by opaque scales in the middle of the forehead. Tuatara reach maturity after about 13 years and have a long life span of 60-100 years. Formerly wide spread through out the country, they are now restricted to offshore islands. Often they share a burrow with nesting Shearwaters or other burrow nesting seabirds. Watch for them on your off-the-mainland birding tours.

There are two species Günther’s Tuatara , Sphenodon guntheri and Tuatara, Sphenodon punctatus with the former found only on one small island in Cook’s Strait between the two main islands.

Wetas

Photo courtesy DOC click for bigger picture

Weta are the dinosaurs of the insect world, and a sighting on a birding tour is rewarding. These relatives of the crickets in the order Orthoptera filled the niche many rodents occupy in the world of mammals. The former range was wide spread from alpine to lowland environments. However, they are rare in all parts of their range with the exception of offshore islands. There are several species within the following groups of weta:

• Giant Weta
  11 species measuring up to 9 cm (nearly 4 inches) and weighing 80 gms.
• Tree Weta
  6 species living in forests and alpine areas. They are able to withstand being frozen solid in winter and thawing out again in spring.
• Ground Weta
  36 species mainly carnivorous and lacking ear on their forelimbs as other species.
• Cave Weta
  60 species living mainly as their name describes. The Cave Weta's body is dwarfed by its very long antennae and legs .
• Tusked Weta
  3 species with large tusks in the lower jaw used as battering rams in combat with rivals.

Birding Tours New Zealand, 224 Horndon Street, Darfield, New Zealand
phone +643 318-8557 | email rob@birdingtoursnewzealand.com