Photo of the week: White weka
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photo of the week: White weka Today’s photo of the week was taken outside the Larrikin Creek hut in Kahurangi National Park. It might not look like one of our native birds, but it is. This is a leucistic weka. Photo: James Gibson Leucism is a condition similar to […]
Read More →Photo of the week: New Zealand flax weevil
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photo of the week: New Zealand flax weevil You’ve heard of New Zealand’s large, flightless birds, but did you know that we have several species of large, flightless weevil too? One of these is the New Zealand flax weevil. These big bugs are about 20 […]
Read More →Photo of the week: Kauri snail eggs
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photo of the week: Kauri snail eggs Did you know that snails lay eggs? Photo: Gregory Sherley These are the eggs of our native kauri snail. These giant snails can live for 20 years or more, and are very active – for snails. They have been known […]
Read More →Photo of the week: Leaf-veined slug
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photo of the week: Leaf-veined slug How can you tell if a slug is native to New Zealand? By checking if its patterning looks like the veins on leaves. Photo: Herb Christophers New Zealand has over 30 species of native slug, all of which are […]
Read More →Photo of the week: Bridal Veil Falls
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photo of the week: Bridal Veil Falls Today’s photo of the week is the stunning Bridal Veil Falls located in the Raglan area. Photo: Sam Minnell | @Samminnell This is an attractive, easy walk through native forest, following the Pakoka River. The two viewing platforms […]
Read More →Photo of the week: Haast tokoeka kiwi
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photo of the week: Haast tokoeka kiwi Today’s photo is of a Haast tokoeka kiwi, a shy, mountain-loving bird and one of our rarest kiwi species. More than half the known population of these kiwi live in an actively-managed area of the Haast ranges, where the […]
Read More →Photo of the week: Orange-fronted parakeet/kākāriki karaka
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photo of the week: Orange-fronted parakeet/kākāriki karaka Today’s photo is of a critically endangered kākāriki karaka, or orange-fronted parakeet. Found in three alpine beech forest valleys in Canterbury, these small forest-dwelling birds are at a high risk of extinction with only 200 – 400 birds remaining in the wild. Last […]
Read More →Photo of the week: Mountain biking on the Heaphy Track
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photo of the week: Mountain biking on the Heaphy Track The Heaphy Track is located in the Kahurangi National Park in the Nelson/Tasman area. Travel through expansive tussock downs, lush forests and nīkau palms to the roaring seas of the West Coast. Gouland Downs, Heaphy […]
Read More →Photo of the week: Mount Allen
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photo of the week: Mount Allen Today’s photo of the week is the impressive view from Mount Allen in the Tin Range, a remote mountain range on Stewart Island/Rakiura. Mount Allen lies within Rakiura National Park and is the second-highest peak on on Stewart Island rising to a […]
Read More →Photo of the week: Mottled petrel/kōrure chick
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photo of the week: Mottled petrel/kōrure chick Today’s photo is of a mottled petrel/kōrure chick on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island off the southern coast of New Zealand. Although the mottled petrel can be seen over vast areas of the Pacific Ocean, it is endemic because it breeds […]
Read More →Photo of the week: Coromandel brown kiwi
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photo of the week: Coromandel brown kiwi Brown kiwi live in the North Island. There are four distinct forms, including the Coromandel brown kiwi. For many New Zealanders, brown kiwi is the species we think of when kiwi are talked about. It is the species that lives […]
Read More →Photo of the week: Sir Richard Branson on Rotoroa Island
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photo of the week: Sir Richard Branson on Rotoroa Island Entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Richard Branson is spending some time in New Zealand, and has been impressed by our beautiful forests and charismatic birds. In a whirlwind trip, Mr Branson was treated to a personal […]
Read More →Photo of the week: Fur seal pup at Cape Palliser
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photo of the week: Fur seal pup at Cape Palliser Visit Cape Palliser in the Wairarapa this time of year and the New Zealand fur seal/kekeno pups are sure to be performing their underwater acrobatics in rock pools or having a snooze in the sun. Today’s photo […]
Read More →Photo of the week: Harlequin gecko
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photo of the week: Harlequin gecko Today’s photo is of a rare harlequin gecko/tukutuku rakiurae. This species of gecko is endemic to Stewart Island/Rakiura in the far south of New Zealand, where it was discovered in 1969. The harlequin gecko is probably the most southern member of the […]
Read More →Photo of the week: Dotterel nest
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photo of the week: Dotterel nest Today’s photo of the week is of a New Zealand dotterel/tuturiwhatu nest on a beautiful beach in the Far North. This endangered bird was once widespread and common, now there are only about 1,700 birds left. It is the time […]
Read More →Photo of the week: kōkako
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photo of the week: kōkako The kōkako belongs to the endemic New Zealand wattlebirds, an ancient family of birds which includes the North and South Island saddleback and the extinct huia. The kōkako was crowned the winner of Forest and Bird’s, Bird of the Year […]
Read More →Photos of the week: Weed busting on Mana Island
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photos of the week: Weed busting on Mana Island Uncontrolled weeds are destroying our native landscapes and pushing out native plants and animals. One such weed is the pretty pink ragwort (Senecio glastifolius). Mana Island’s seasonal weed-busting team is currently tackling pink ragwort which invades the […]
Read More →Photo of the week: Paradise shelduck duckling
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photo of the week: Paradise shelduck duckling Cuteness alert! Today’s photo is of a paradise shelduck/pūtangitangi duckling. The paradise shelduck is New Zealand’s only shelduck, a worldwide group of large, often semi-terrestrial waterfowl that have goose-like features. Hawke’s Bay Biodiversity Ranger Kelly Eaton found this paradise shelduck duckling on […]
Read More →Photo of the week: Cook Strait striped gecko
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photo of the week: Cook Strait striped gecko The Cook Strait striped gecko is one of the rarest New Zealand lizards. It is found on Stephens Island in the Cook Strait and on Maud Island in Pelorus Sound. Geckos have broad heads with large bulging eyes, definite necks, and […]
Read More →Photo of the week: North Island brown kiwi chick
MIL OSI – Source: Department of Conservation – Release/Statement Headline: Photo of the week: North Island brown kiwi chick The kiwi is a unique and curious bird: it cannot fly, has loose, hair-like feathers, strong legs and no tail. Brown kiwi live in the North Island, there are four distinct forms, including the Northland brown […]
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