2.1 NORTHERN ISLAND BROWN KIWI Apteryx mantelli [Kiwi de Mantell] L 50cm. Note brownish plumage.
Prefers dense forest and shrubland, but occurs also in pine plantations, scrub, second growth and pastures.
High, rising, shrill whistle.
NZ 1. E.NZ
2.2 OKARITO BROWN KIWI Apteryx rowi [Kiwi d’Okarito] L 50cm. Greyer than 2.1.
Dense lowland forest.
NZ 2. E.NZ
2.3 SOUTHERN BROWN KIWI4 Apteryx australis [Kiwi austral] L 50cm. From 2.1–2 by range. Sole Brown Kiwi that might come out in daytime.
Wet forest, also in subalpine tussockland.
High, descending, shrieking yell wee-oh (
), that of
deeper and more hoarse.
NZ 2,3. E.NZ.
2.4 LITTLE SPOTTED KIWI Apteryx owenii [Kiwi d’Owen] L 40cm. From larger 2.5 mainly by range.
Mainly interior and at margins of forest with dense undergrowth; up to 1,000m.
Long, gradually ascending, high-pitched series of wreeh notes.
NZ 1,
2. R E.NZ
2.5 GREAT SPOTTED KIWI Apteryx haastii [Kiwi roa] L 55cm. Cf. 2.4.
Mossy beech forest, tussock grassland, coastal scrub. Up to 1,200m, mainly above 700m.
Slow, slightly ascending, mid-high series of wrraah notes.
NZ 2. R E.NZ
2.6 KING PENGUIN Aptenodytes patagonicus [Manchot royal] L 90cm. From 2.7 by larger yellow base to lower mandible, paler upperparts and narrower black border between dark mantle and white breast. Imm. like Ad. but yellow at bill and throat much paler.
Pelagic, occasionally at islands, rare at mainland.
Thin bleating (as starting of Formula 1 cars).
NZ 2,4–8.
2.7 EMPEROR PENGUIN Aptenodytes forsteri [Manchot empereur] L 115cm. Larger than 2.6, which see. Imm. shows white throat, gradually changing with age into black throat like Ad.
Pelagic, rare at islands.
In colony bleating, rising, bouncing vehvehveh.
NZ 3.
2.8 GENTOO PENGUIN5 Pygoscelis papua [Manchot papou] L 75cm. Note black eyes, mainly red bill, triangular white patch above eyes and yellow to dull orange feet.
Pelagic, occasionally at islands and mainland.
Low, donkey-like braying.
Off NZ. R
2.9 ADELIE PENGUIN Pygoscelis adeliae [Manchot d’Adélie] L 70cm. White eyering diagnostic; eyering lacking in white-chinned Imm.
Pelagic, rare at mainland.
Soft, hoarse trumpeting.
Off NZ. 2.10 CHINSTRAP PENGUIN Pygoscelis antarcticus [Manchot à jugulaire] L 75cm. Unmistakable.
Pelagic, rare at islands.
Soft, goose-like squeaks in series of 1–5.
Off NZ.
3 Penguins
3.1 FIORDLAND (NZCrested) PENGUIN Eudyptes pachyrhynchus [Gorfou du Fiordland] L 55cm. Note whitish cheek stripes (in most individuals), lack of bare skin at bill base and little black at tips of underflippers.
Breeds in colonies in rainforest or in caves along rocky shores; forages in nearby seas, outside Br season probaby pelagic.
Very high, excited quacking.
NZ. Absent March–June. R
3.2 SNARES (NZCrested) PENGUIN Eudyptes robustus [Gorfou des Snares] L 60cm. Note pink bare skin at bill base, robust bill and narrow yellow eyebrow. Black crown feathers not or hardly erectile. Colonies in muddy areas or on rocky flats with shading forest and other vegetation; outside Br season pelagic.
Very high, hoarse quacking.
NZ. R
3.3 ERECT-CRESTED PENGUIN Eudyptes sclateri [Gorfou huppé] L 65cm. From 3.2 by broader, yellow eyebrow, kept erect over eye.
Breeds in rocky areas without vegetation. Outside Br season pelagic.
Very high, nasal, shivering quacking.
NZ. R
3.4 ROCKHOPPER PENGUIN6 Eudyptes chrysocome [Gorfou sauteur] L 50cm. Rather small posture, small bill, yellow eyebrow spreading fanwise behind eye. Nom. (a) differs from ssp moseleyi (b) by extent of black pattern at underflipper and presence of naked skin at bill base.
Breeds in rocky places, gentle tussock slopes or under vegetation. Outside Br season pelagic.
Low, Mallard-like quacking, sometimes in dancing series.
NZ. R
3.5 ROYAL PENGUIN Eudyptes schlegeli [Gorfou de Schlegel] L 70cm. From other Eudyptes penguins by white cheeks.
Colonies mainly on stony ground without vegetation. Pelagic after breeding.
Mid-high, drawn-out braying.
NZ 1,2,4,5–7 R
3.6 MACARONI PENGUIN Eudyptes chrysolophus [Gorfou doré] L 70cm. From 3.5 by all-black head, pink naked skin at bill base and different crest ‘style’. Breeds in rocky, flat to steep places, normally without vegetation. Probably pelagic after breeding.
High, Mallard-like quacking, sometimes in short rattles.
NZ 5,7.
3.7 YELLOW-EYED PENGUIN Megadyptes antipodes [Manchot antipode] L 65cm. Unmistakable by yellow eyes and streak from eye to hindcrown.
Breeds in dense vegetation on shores and slopes. Pelagic after breeding.
High-pitched wrritwrritwrrit.
NZ 1–7. R E.NZ
3.8 LITTLE PENGUIN Eudyptula minor [Manchot pygmée] L 42cm. Note slaty blue upperparts without distinctive markings to head. Some variation in width of white flipper margins (a and b).
Small colonies on rocky flats and slopes; also in sand dunes.
Varied: e.g. soft, drawn-out, mumbled croaking or high, rather hoarse screams.
NZ 1–4.
3.9 MAGELLANIC PENGUIN Spheniscus magellanicus [Manchot de Magellan] L 70cm. Unmistakable by head pattern and double breast-band.
Vagrant from S America to bays of NZ and Australia.
Braying sneezes.
NZ 1.
4 Albatrosses
4.1 WANDERING ALBATROSS7 Diomedea exulans [Albatros hurleur] W 303cm. Separation from 4.2 only possible at close range when lack of black line along cutting edge of upper mandible visible. Field identification to ssp and age on base of plumage features in most cases not possible. Passes through about 7 stages (stages (St) 1–4 and 7 shown, stages 5 and 6 not shown) before attaining full Ad. plumage. This process, that can take up to 16 years, can stop in any stage so that for instance some
can retain parts (e.g. black tail feathers) or the complete Juv. plumage (stage 1) during their whole life.
Varied, e.g. very low purring, bill rattling, nasal gackling, etc.
Breeds NZ 6–8.
4.2 ROYAL ALBATROSS8 Diomedea epomophora [Albatros royal] W 328cm. From 4.1 by black cutting edge of bill. In all but Juv. stage the tail is white (unlike 4.1), so a large albatross with white wing patch combined with all-white tail is always this species. No dark brown Juv. stage and less Imm. stages than 4.1, especially in ssp sanfordi (a, Nothern Royal Albatross) where Juvs moult direct into Ad. plumage. Note difference between 4.2a with solid black wings and Nom. (b, Southern Royal Albatross); in the latter the wings of Ad. are mainly white. Breeds on flat or gently sloping ground. Nests sheltered by rocks or low vegetation but needs gently sloping, exposed sites for take-off and landing. Otherwise open ocean.
Low, rhythmic or puffed-out grunts and mumblings. Also bill rattling.
Breeds NZ 4,6,7. 4.3 KELP (or NZSouthern Black-backed) GULL Larus dominicanus [Goéland dominicain] L 60cm. Frontal view for comparison of size with 4.1–2. See also 52.1. 4.4 BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS Thalassarche melanophris [Albatros à sourcils noirs] W 230cm. Frontal view for comparison of size with 4.1–2. See also 6.3.
5 Albatrosses
5.1 BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS Phoebastria nigripes [Albatros à pieds noirs] W 203cm. Note white at bill base and in Ad. (showing more white at face sides than Juv.) white under- and uppertail coverts. Ad. can look very bleached-out overall. Bill and feet dusky pink. Cf. Juv. 5.3 (with bright pink bill and paler underside of flight feathers) and Juv. of much larger 4.1 (with white face mask).
Offshore and open ocean.
Duck-like qaucking, thin, nasal mumbling and high, smooth squeaks. Also bill clapping.
Breeds NW Ha, Ma. Wanders S to Equator. V NZ
5.2 LAYSAN ALBATROSS Phoebastria immutabilis [Albatros de Laysan] W 199cm. Note dark patch around eyes. Underwings can vary like shown (a and b, not age related). Note range.
Open ocean.
Bleating, shivering calls and bill snapping.
Breeds NW Ha. Wanders mainly N.
5.3 SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSS Phoebastria albatrus [Albatros à queue courte] W 221cm. Yellowish head of Ad. diagnostic. More extensive than in 4.1 and 4.2, that often show yellow smear between cheeks and nape. Underside of flight feathers in Juv. rather pale. Note characteristic pattern of upperwings like shown in Imm. and Ad.
Open ocean.
Off Ha. R
6 Albatrosses
6.1 GREY-HEADED ALBATROSS Thalassarche chrysostoma [Albatros à tête grise] W 192cm. From 6.2 by greyer head, more black to leading edge of underwing and yellow lower ridge to bill. Rather similar to 6.4, but note that yellow starts narrowly at upper ridge of bill. Juv. with dark underwings like Juv. 6.3, but differs by white, not grey head.
Offshore and open ocean.
Mid-high, nasal bleating.
Breeds NZ 7. R
6.2 YELLOW-NOSED ALBATROSS9 Thalassarche chlororhynchos [Albatros à nez jaune] W 200cm. Shown are Nom. (a, with grey head) and ssp bassi/carteri (b, with white head). From 6.4 by lack of black mark in axillaries. Lack of yellow line along lower mandible in Ad. diagnostic. Note narrow black leading edge of underwings.
Inshore and offshore.
High, scratchy bleating or raspy wuc-wuc-wuc.
Off NZ.
6.3 BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS10 Thalassarche melanophris [Albatros à sourcils noirs] W 230cm. Shown are dark-eyed Nom. (a) and pale-eyed ssp impavida (b). b might show slightly more extensive black than a to underwings (not shown). Yellow bill and lack of grey to head diagnostic in Ad. Juv. with black bill and dark underwings shows complete or partial grey breast-band.
Breeds on cliff ridges and ledges. Offshore and pelagic.
Breeds NZ 5,7,8.
6.4 SHY (or NZWhite-capped) ALBATROSS11 Thalassarche cauta [Albatros à cape blanche] W 234cm. 4 ssps in the area: Nom. (NZTasmanian Albatross not shown; resembles b), steadi (a, NZNew Zealand White-capped Albatross), salvini (b, NZSalvin’s Albatross) and eremita (c NZChatham Island Albatross). a, b and c breed in the area. Black diagnostic mark in axillaries, where black leading edge of wings meets body. Colour of bill and saturation of grey or brown to head differ among ssps, but all ssps show narrow black leading edge to underwings.
Breeds on level places in rocky, broken areas. Offshore.
High, drawn-out, slightly shivering, lowing or toneless, nasal twittering and braying.
Breeds NZ 4–6,8. R
6.5 BULLER’S ALBATROSS Thalassarche bulleri12 [Albatros de Buller] W 209cm. Two ssps: Nom. (a, Northern Buller’s Albatross): note broad yellow base to yellow line along culmen; and ssp platei (b, NZSouthern Buller’s Albatross, with a greyer forehead). b differs from a mainly in timing of breeding (a breeds 2–3 months later than b). Bill of b is supposed to be slightly broader, black eyebrow longer between eye and base of bill and forehead and crown silvery grey, not silvery white like a, but all these features may vary. From Ad. 6.1 also by clear-cut black leading edge to underwings.
Breeds on slopes, ridges and tops of rocky slopes with sparse, low vegetation. Inshore, offshore and open ocean.
