The Birds of The Nevis Highwire Platform Quiz

Answer: Malherbe's parakeet

The Malherbe's parakeet is an omnivorous bird that is blue, green, and orange in color. They are critically endangered but are seen around the Platform. The female nests in large trees while the male feeds her. The other three birds are extinct.

Answer: Rock wren

The rock wren is a poor flyer and is likely to be seen on the ground at the Nevis Platform where they make their nests. There have been nest failures because of snowfall which has been caused by climate change.

Answer: Maori hen

The weka is a flightless bird that you may see running around like a chicken when waiting to go up to the Platform. This plain brown bird lays its eggs on the ground where both the male and female incubate it.

Answer: Black rats

The introduction of black rats caused a decline of 75% in the numbers of mohua. This bird can be seen flying around the Platform as well as on the back of the $100 dollar note. The Department of Conservation has been working hard to stabilize the populations by finding poisons which work on black rats while having no or little impact on the yellowhead.

Answer: Different colors in different birds

The variable oystercatcher gets its name from the fact that different birds have different colors. While most birds are black on the back and tail, different birds have different colors on the breast. Some have a mottled breast, while others are nearly completely black. They nest on the shoreline amid the rocks in nests made of seaweed. They eat crabs, mollusks, and sea worms.

Answer: Parson bird

The tui is now known only by that name, but it used to be known as a mockingbird or a parson bird. This territorial bird feeds on nectar, fruit, and insects. They can copy human speech and have a plethora of calls and tweets.

Answer: They are more populous on the North Island

Although you might see the stitchbird (or hihi) at the Platform, it is not a common bird in the area being endemic to the North Island. They are the only birds that mate face to face and they nest in old trees.

Answer: New Zealand falcon

The New Zealand falcon is the only falcon on the island and the only diurnal hunter. This threatened and very aggressive species makes its nests in a variety of locations including on the ground, on rock ledges, and in trees.

Answer: False

While the kokako is seen on the North Island, the South Island subspecies is a possibly extinct bird. This slate gray bird was a poor flyer that lived in tall trees and fed on leaves and flowers. They fell pray to introduced species such as the possum, rats and stoats.

Answer: Kingfisher

This bird is a kingfisher and is found all over New Zealnd's South Island. This carnivorous bird feeds on small birds, crabs, lizards, mice and insects. They are very noisy and can be seen all around the Platform.