Animals Quiz: Birds of New Zealand: 10 Questions | Wild Birds

Answer: Larus bulleri- the black billed gull

Black billed gulls are an inland gull on the mainland, but breed in the greatest numbers along braided riverbeds of the South Island. They feed on fish, invertebrates and rubbish. Red billed gulls are not endemic, but they are native. Black backed gulls are much larger than either species and black headed gulls do not occur in New Zealand.

Answer: Falco novaeseelandiae- New Zealand falcon

The New Zealand falcon is under threat from introduced mammalian predators which prey on them and eat their eggs and chicks. It is rarer than the national bird, the kiwi. The harrier hawk is native but not endemic. It is larger than the falcon. The little owl is an introduced owl species and the morepork is a nocturnal owl.

Answer: Strigops habroptilus- the kakapo

The kakapo is currently undergoing a breeding programme to increase its numbers in the wild. At the moment, kakapo are only able to inhabit offshore islands which have had predators eradicated. Kakapo are quite tame and will tolerate petting and handling for a short amount of time. The pied shag is a shorebird.

Answer: Nestor notabilis- the kea

Kea are very curious birds that often get into trouble by destroying campers and hikers belongings. They are very intelligent and display excellent problem solving abilities in order to obtain food. The fairy tern is a shorebird.

Answer: Callaeas cinerea- the kokako

The kokako prefers to move around by running and hopping. Flying is more likely to be in the form of gliding between trees. The kokako is very rare, and probably extinct on the South Island. There is a good population of kokako on Tiritiri Matangi Island. The kookaburra is introduced from Australia. The shy mollymawk is a shorebird and the bellbird is a small, green, nectar-feeding bird.

Answer: Apteryx species- the kiwi

Yes, I included the kiwi! There are four different species of kiwi in New Zealand: the brown kiwi, the great spotted kiwi, the little spotted kiwi and the tokoeka. They are nocturnal and insectivorous. The female is usually larger than the male. They are currently under threat but breeding programmes are helping to re-establish their populations.

Answer: Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae- kereru/New Zealand pigeon

The kereru has been described as a keystone species, as it appears to be the only species capable of distributing the larger fruits of native trees because of its larger beak size. If it becomes extinct, trees such as the puriri (Vitex lucens) will then lack a disperser for their seeds because other birds lack the beak size required for eating their fruits.

Answer: Eudyptula minor- blue penguin

The blue penguin can be viewed at Tiritiri Matangi Island and its chicks may be seen in nesting boxes. It is distinguished from the white-flippered penguin by having entirely blue flippers. The blue penguin occurs from North Cape to Stewart Island, at the Chatham Islands and on Tiritiri Matangi Island.

Answer: Notornis mantelli- the takahe

The takahe was rediscovered in 1948 in the Murchison Mountains. The entire population of takahe is comprised by some 200 individuals, who are slow breeders and preyed upon by introduced mammals. Translocation of individuals to offshore islands has resulted in a small increase in numbers.

The pukeko looks similar but is more common and less stocky than the takahe. The moa is an extinct ratite. The robin is a small, dark grey insectivorous bird.

Answer: Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae- the tui

The tui is an endemic nectar feeder but also eats insects and fruits. There are two subspecies, the New Zealand tui and the Chatham Island tui.