News

Birds New Zealand is delighted to announce publication of Murray Williams’ A synopsis of game bird banding in New Zealand to year 2000 This fascinating account of the history of game bird banding in Aotearoa has been published as part of our OSNZ Occasional Publications series. Image by Rebecca Bowater (NZ Birds Online)

An online workshop about recording moult in the plumage of birds was held by Birds New Zealand on 5th February 2025. Nearly 100 participants took part in the online workshop.  Proceedings were recorded and will be made available as an educational resource on the Birds New Zealand website. Funding for the workshop was provided by […]

The 2025 Birds New Zealand Conference and Annual General Meeting will be held in Auckland 31st May to 2nd June during King’s Birthday weekend. All events and meals will be at the Novotel & IBIS Auckland Ellerslie Hotel. The deadline for early-bird registration is 28th February 2025. Abstracts must be submitted by 31st March. Conference details are available here. REGISTER NOW

This scholarship, for Masters and PhD students, is sponsored by the George Mason Charitable Trust and named in commemoration of David Medway. Applications are now open and close on 30 March 2025. Details are available here.

This Canterbury scholarship, for Masters and PhD students, was established in 2018 and is named in commemoration of Marj Davis. Applications are now open and close on 30 March 2025. Details are available here.

Birds New Zealand provides grants from the Fledgling Fund to encourage Student Members to attend and actively participate in New Zealand Bird Conferences and Birds New Zealand annual meetings. Applications are now open and close on 28 February. Criteria and application form are available here

Aotearoa New Zealand is a long way from anywhere. Despite being 2,000 km from the nearest continent, vagrant land birds regularly find their way across the Tasman Sea – though some don’t quite make it. Bird curator Colin Miskelly describes the latest new species to come to grief on our shores. Read more at https://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2025/01/22/a-new-bird-for-new-zealand-horsfields-bronze-cuckoo/ […]

The December edition of Notornis is now available to read or download online on the Current Quarterly Publications page A fully searchable database of Notornis articles and Birds New Zealand magazines is provided in the Publications archive

Walking the length of New Zealand counting every bird! Listen to the interview with Dr Colin Miskelly about atlasing birds along Te Araroa Trail on youtube (by Adam Forbes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBv7zJxtgfA

Download the latest Waikato newsletter here Other recent newsletters from around the regions are available here

Download the latest Auckland Regional Programme here Other recent newsletters from around the regions are available here 

Download the latest Otago newsletter here Other recent newsletters from around the regions are available here

Download the latest Wellington newsletter here Other recent newsletters from around the regions are available here

The December 2024 edition of Bird New Zealand magazine has been published with a cover photo of a Hoiho Yellow-eyed Penguin by Mike Ashbee. This edition contains news of the latest bird research being funded by the 2024 Birds New Zealand Research Fund, including new research on Hoiho, three kiwi species, Australasian Bitterns, Whenua Hou […]

The 6th edition of the Checklist of the Birds of New Zealand can now be viewed on the Checklist page https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/society-publications/checklist/ The previous editions of the Checklist were published in 1953, 1970, 1990, 2010 and 2022, with the first four published as books and the 5th edition (2022) published as a pdf and as html webpages. The […]

Birds New Zealand is looking for a new funder to support the Birds New Zealand Research Fund (BNZRF). For the past 12 years the BNZRF has been funded by the T-Gear Charitable Trust, with the promotion, assessment of proposals, selection of recipients and administration of funds managed by Bird New Zealand. We are grateful for […]

The Oceania Seabirds will now be held from 14-17 April 2025. Due to the ongoing political situation in New Caledonia the symposium will now be held in Auckland. The venue will be the University of Auckland, city campus This inaugural Symposium will bring the attention of the international and Oceania community to the importance of seabirds within the world’s […]

Download the latest Manawatu newsletter here Other recent newsletters from around the regions are available here

Download the latest South Auckland newsletter here Other recent newsletters from around the regions are available here

BirdLife Australia and Birds New Zealand are excited to announce the 13th Australasian Ornithological Conference (AOC) will be held in Perth/Boorloo. The AOC will be held from Tuesday 18 – Thursday 20 November 2025 at the University of Western Australia, with side events planned for the days before and after. This is the largest biennial gathering of enthusiastic […]