Yellow-eyed penguins are one of New Zealand’s special birds. Here are 8 facts about these unique endemic birds that breed on the South Island. New Zealand is home to so many cool birds, like the Kereru, Tui, Kiwi, and Kea. I’ve written about some of…
Category: New Zealand Nature
The New Zealand Robin is a delightful endemic bird to see when tramping. Here are 8 facts to help you appreciate this special bird. I used to live in the Rocky Mountains of the USA and we would often see Robins flying about. They were…
Native, endemic, and introduced are terms that describe a plant or animal. Here is a quick overview on what those terms mean and examples of each in New Zealand. There are thousands of species of plants and animals found throughout the world. Some of them…
The Kereru, or New Zealand Native Pigeon is a beautiful, fat, clumsy bird that I love. Here are 9 facts about this common New Zealand bird. My son and I recently took part in the Great Kereru Count in New Zealand. This was a week…
Bats are the only land mammals that lived in New Zealand for millions of years. The two endemic bats are the Long-tailed bat and Lesser Short-tailed bat. Yes, as crazy as it seems it’s true that New Zealand had no other mammals. The land that…
The Fantail is one of the most common New Zealand birds that you will see. Here are 8 facts about this friendly, curious native New Zealand bird. It seems like just about anytime I go for a walk in a park or forest in New…
The Pohutukawa is an absolutely stunning tree that grows only in New Zealand. Here are 6 facts about this tree that is called the NZ Christmas Tree. When I first moved to New Zealand several years ago I was quickly blown away by the amazing…
Plate tectonics plays a huge role in shaping New Zealand’s landscape. The volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, and mountains are all due to plate tectonics. New Zealand’s landscape is stunning. You can see beautiful beaches, hike in big mountains, visit glaciers. and ski on a volcano.…