I am excited to announce the release of my book, The Real Guide to New Zealand: the Unique Nature of Aotearoa. The book was officially released on 10 November 2022. We are so lucky to live in such a special part of the world here…
Tag: introduced species
While there are many, here are 3 causes of threatened species in New Zealand – habitat loss, predation, and being outcompeted. Aotearoa now has about 4,000 native species listed as threatened or endangered! As I’ve talked about over and over in this blog, the country…
These predator traps are being used to give New Zealand’s native wildlife a chance at survival. Here are 4 of the main traps used to catch rats, stoats, weasels, ferrets, and hedgehogs. New Zealand is unfortunately overrun by introduced predators (rats, stoats, and possums to…
Here are 14 of the most common garden birds of New Zealand. These include a few native birds and also several introduced species, such as blackbirds. About 212 species of birds can currently be found in New Zealand. Those are birds that live and breed…
Scale insects form the basis of an ecosystem in the native beech forests of New Zealand. Here is an explanation of this ecosystem and how introduced wasps are changing it. This sounds like it could be the title of some horror movie – scale insects,…
Introduced species can be a serious problem anywhere, but especially on islands. Here is a definition of introduced species, and why they can be problematic. I have lived in various parts of the USA, Madagascar, and now New Zealand. It seems like everywhere I’ve lived…
Here are 7 common introduced birds that you are sure to see in New Zealand. These birds are widespread across the country and range from sea level to the upper slopes of the mountains. I think it’s so cool to observe nature, whether it’s a…
People introduced species to New Zealand for many different reasons. Here are 5 reasons that New Zealand is now home to so many introduced species. The islands of New Zealand have been separated from other land for about 65 million years! Over that long time…
There are 4 rodent species in New Zealand. These small mammals have caused serious problems to native wildlife, such as birds, lizards, and insects. I live in the Taranaki area of the north island of New Zealand. Unfortunately, I’ve seen first hand just how abundant…
There are lots of rats in New Zealand that are causing a bit of havoc to the native wildlife. Here is an overview on New Zealand’s rat problem. New Zealand, similar to other islands throughout the world, is home to some very unique wildlife. The…