Zealandia Wildlife Sanctuary

Among the rare-sidents you can find whilst walking around Zealandia are the following:

Kākā - an endemic (only found in New Zealand) forest parrot, predominately brown in colour with crimson and orange flashes, features a strong curved beak used for stripping bark to access grubs and insects underneath. Since introducing 14 captive bred Kaka from zoos between 2002 and 2007, Zealandia is now home to more than 700 living wild within the reserve and surrounding areas. 

Kākāriki - an endemic parakeet, brilliant green in colour with a loud chatter, they were close to extinction but are becoming increasingly seen around Wellington thanks to the breeding programme with Zealandia.

Takahē - an endemic and extremely rare rail bird, blue and green feathering with a distinctive red beak, they were thought to be extinct until re-discovered in 1948. There are less than 350 in existence, and Zealandia has a single pair, Nio and Orbell, who live in the wetlands area.

Tīeke/Saddleback - an endemic medium-sized bird with black feathering and a distinctive copper ‘saddle’ on its back and red fleshy wattles at base of its bill, this poor flyer was extinct from the mainland following the spread of rats and cats in the 1800s. They are now in recovery, and a nesting pair has even been found outside of the sanctuary. 

Hihi - the sole remaining representative of the Notiomystidae family, the endemic 'Stitchbird' is a small sparrow-sized bird with females olive coloured and males bright blue and yellow. Nesting in tree cavities made them susceptible to rats, stoats, and cats, leaving them extinct on the mainland from 1885 until reintroduced into Zealandia in 2005. 

Tuatara - the sole remaining representative of the Rhynchocophalian family, with all other member becoming extinct 65 million years ago, New Zealand's endemic dinosaur is something of a celebrity. This small, scaly, reptillian has a third eye beneath the skin atop their heads and are thought to live for more the 100 years in age. 

There are no segregated zones and certainly no averies in Zealandia, so finding the rare and endangered species of birds and reptiles can be quite time consuming.

To make the most of your Zealandia experience, it is advisable to book into one of the many tours that run throughout the day and some evenings.

Zealandia's experienced guides will help you find rare and endangered species, and tell you everything you could wish to know about their history, their threatened status, and the breeding programmes that are being run to save them.