News

The September 2026 issue of Notornis has been published online. The issue contains six full papers and three short notes: Papers: Two 1930s records of saddlebacks (tīeke) from the Raukūmara Range, East Cape C.M. Miskelly. Notornis 73(3): 239–241 Comparing the outcomes from two translocations of pakahā/fluttering shearwater (Puffinus gavia) chicks within the Wellington region S.D. Cotter & H. […]

New members of Birds New Zealand now receive a free copy of New Zealand Seabirds – a natural history by Kerry-Jayne Wilson! Valued at $50 and published in 2021 it has 136 pages, including over 100 colour photos and maps. Please note the offer applies while stocks last and excludes overseas and family subscriptions. Join now and […]

BirdLife Australia and Birds New Zealand are pleased to announce that the 14th Australasian Ornithological Conference (AOC) will be held in Auckland, 18-20 February 2027. For details and to register your interest visit https://aoc.org.au/. This will be the largest biennial gathering of enthusiastic amateur and professional ornithologists and avian researchers from Australasia, New Zealand and beyond! […]

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

Members of Birds New Zealand may be aware that a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A (H5N1) virus has spread across much of the world since 2021. The H5N1 avian influenza virus, also called “bird flu”, is highly contagious among birds and can cause considerable mortality, especially in domestic poultry. It has also led to […]

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

The 2026 Prime Minister’s Science Communication Prize has been won by Associate Professor Nic Rawlence of the University of Otago, who is the head of the Paleogenetics Group there which researches the ancient ecology of New Zealand. He is also a member of the Birds New Zealand Council. Motivated to inspire the next generation of […]

The New Zealand Bird Conference and Birds New Zealand Annual General Meeting was held in Wānaka from 30 May to 1 June 2026 at the Lake Wānaka Centre. About 200 ornithologists and bird enthusiasts attended Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest annual conference on birds and bird research. The keynote speakers were Hoani Langsbury and Paul Kavanagh. More than 40 […]

The latest Banding Newsletter is now available here Read more about the New Zealand Banding Scheme or download previous newsletters here

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

The June 2026 Birds New Zealand magazine is the 50th issue published since 2014. It features a cover photo of a Kuaka Bar-tailed Godwit known as ‘AJD’ taken by Paul Gibson and reports on the results of our 2025 National Wader Census, the April 2026 Pukunui Southern NZ Dotterel census and the April 2026 Tara Iti NZ Fairy […]

Following voting on notices of motion at the recent Birds New Zealand AGM, overseas membership subscriptions will now be charged at the same rate as those for New Zealand-based members. The change recognises that Birds New Zealand no longer posts print copies of Birds New Zealand magazines or Notornis journals to overseas members, with these […]

Pat Miller has been walking Northland’s beaches, looking for treasure, for more than half a century. In September last year he made his most notable discovery yet – a new bird record for New Zealand. Most New Zealand bird enthusiasts have never heard of Jouanin’s petrel. Those who knew of it would not have rated […]

I am a Curator of Vertebrates at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, specialising in birds and their fossils. I previously worked at the Forest & Bird Protection Society and in the Threatened Species Unit of the Department of Conservation; also as an occasional Antarctic tour guide. I’ve been a member of Birds […]

Download the latest Canterbury 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 2026 Australasian Shorebird Conference (ASC) will be held in Newcastle, NSW, Australia, 19-21 September 2026. ​The ASC is the largest gathering of amateur and professional shorebird enthusiasts from the region. This will be the first in-person event in eight years! ASC 2026 will offer you the chance to hear from shorebird experts, as well […]

The 29th International Ornithological Congress 2026 will be held from Nov 30th – December 5th 2026 in Mérida, Yucatán, México Join us for IOC 2026 in the beautiful rainforests of Merida México. This is the leading ornithology congress in the world, occurring once every four years. It is designed to be an intellectually stimulating congress for all bird […]