Birds of Kapiti Island, NZ: New Zealand has no indigenous land mammals, animals like dogs, cats, and rats were brought by humans in the past 900 years. The wildlife is all about the...

amehta Loc: Boston

New Zealand has no indigenous land mammals, animals like dogs, cats, and rats were brought by humans in the past 900 years. The wildlife is all about the birds, but they are severely threatened. A number of island sanctuaries and preserves have been set up to give them a safe habitat. One of these is Kapiti Island, off the southwest corner of the north island. (Some of the names should have accents, sorry I'm not getting those right.)

#1: Kaka

#2: Takahe

#3: Weka

#4: Robin

#5: Wood pigeon

#6: Tui

#7: Hawk?

#8: Somebody has to stand guard

#9:It's not all for the birds

Longhorn Loc: Austin, Texas

Absolutely a beautiful set of photos of unique and colorful birds. Keep posting. Colors and sharpness on the money.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Very beautiful and enjoyable images, amehta! So interesting to learn about the lack of indigenous mammals, as well. Never knew :)

James56 Loc: Nashville, Tennessee

Very nice...such unique birds. Great work too!

Heirloom Tomato Loc: Oregon

Very pretty shots, and a few birds I've never seen before.

Photo Girl Loc: SE Pasco County, FL

amehta wrote:

New Zealand has no indigenous land mammals, animals like dogs, cats, and rats were brought by humans in the past 900 years. The wildlife is all about the birds, but they are severely threatened. A number of island sanctuaries and preserves have been set up to give them a safe habitat. One of these is Kapiti Island, off the southwest corner of the north island. (Some of the names should have accents, sorry I'm not getting those right.)

These are just beautiful, sharp, well composed and so enjoyable to look at, but could you explain #9? I'd love to know what's making the color.

amehta Loc: Boston

Photo Girl wrote:

These are just beautiful, sharp, well composed and so enjoyable to look at, but could you explain #9? I'd love to know what's making the color.

There was a rainbow.

barbedwire Loc: Quesnel, BC Canada

Stunning photo set.

DOOK Loc: Maclean, Australia

Beautiful set...Very well photographed. :thumbup: :thumbup:

Regis Loc: Coeur d' Alene, Idaho

amehta wrote:

New Zealand has no indigenous land mammals, animals like dogs, cats, and rats were brought by humans in the past 900 years. The wildlife is all about the birds, but they are severely threatened. A number of island sanctuaries and preserves have been set up to give them a safe habitat. One of these is Kapiti Island, off the southwest corner of the north island. (Some of the names should have accents, sorry I'm not getting those right.)

Very nice photos of pretty and interesting birds and the rainbow effect on the last photo. Well done.

tk Loc: Iowa

Fabulous! Can't wait to see these! Are they able to be seen in the wild? Or are the endangered mostly in sanctuaries?

Bozsik Loc: Orangevale, California

tk wrote:

Fabulous! Can't wait to see these! Are they able to be seen in the wild? Or are the endangered mostly in sanctuaries?

Some of these can be seen in the wild on the main Islands. There used to be a sanctuary North of Wellington that also had some specimens. A lot of the larger species of land birds in NZ are nocturnal, and some of the surviving species inhabit very dense rain forest areas making it very difficult to get shots of them.

New Zealand does have three species of mammal that are native. They are all bats. There are: the long-tailed bat, the lesser short-tailed bat, and greater short-tailed bat. I think one of them is now considered to be extinct.

These are nice photos. I love the call the Tui makes.

amehta Loc: Boston

Regis wrote:

Very nice photos of pretty and interesting birds and the rainbow effect on the last photo. Well done.

Thanks, Regis. It isn't a "rainbow effect" in the last picture, it's an actual rainbow. :-)

Bozsik Loc: Orangevale, California

amehta wrote:

Thanks, Regis. It isn't a "rainbow effect" in the last picture, it's an actual rainbow. :-)

Some of the best rainbows I have seen was when I visited NZ.

amehta Loc: Boston

Bozsik wrote:

quote=tk Fabulous! Can't wait to see these! Are... (show quote)

Some species are more endangered than others. In particular, the flightless birds have been especially decimated. Kapiti Island is not a sanctuary like our zoos. The entire island is open. The main effort is to ensure that rats and other predatory mammals do not get on the island. The mainland sanctuaries like the one Bozsik mentions have fences to keep critters out, not to keep anything in. The birds can fly back and forth as they please. To them, they are "in the wild", not caged in any way.

Yes, the tui makes a very distinct call. I became much better at finding them than any other birds. In one tour group, that was the only bird I could spot myself! :-)

Yes, tk, you should go to see these!