Past Conferences and Abstracts
2026 NZ Bird Conference & 86th AGM
Our 2026 annual conference and 86th AGM was held in Wānaka, 30 May-1 June. Thanks to the tireless work of scores of members and all the speakers, it was a great success. Around 200 ornithologists and bird enthusiasts attended the high-quality scientific presentations, discussed new bird research, and caught up with friends, old and new. Our keynote speakers were Hoani Langsbury on a Te Ao Māori approach to ecological and conservation management through a practitioner’s lens and Paul Kavanagh, Chief Executive of the Southern Lakes Sanctuary, on integrating technology with grassroots conservation in the context of the Sanctuary project.
Oscar Thomas, Hamish Spencer and Georgina Pickerell curated a highly engaging Scientific Programme with more than 40 speakers covering a wide range of subjects from bird conservation, habitat use, migratory movements, breeding success, predation, population trends, bird behaviour, banding, bird songs and bird diets to genomics, evolution, seabird bycatch, at-sea ranges, new research technologies such as aerial drones and remote tracking technology, moa de-extinction and the work of Birds New Zealand.
The other speakers were Graeme Loh, Nic Rawlence, Katinka Rexer-Huber, Dawn Palmer, Colin Miskelly, Alan Tennyson, Ian Armitage, Mike Bell, Oscar Thomas, Inka Pleiss, Ann-Katrin Schlesselmann, Ilse Corkery, Phil Battley, Francesca Cunninghame, Graham Parker, Isabelle Beaudoin, Erin Marshall, Olivia Rowley, Julia Kovács, Olivia Ediriweera, Rahman Rasyidi, Theo Atkinson, Louise Bodt, Ian G. Van Tets, Scott Bourke, Daniel Cocker, Sarah Forder, Anya Kruszewski, Philippa Agnew, Guozheng Li, Christopher Bycroft, Scott Jarvie, Cilla Wehi and Quinn Berentson.
The study birds featured included Little Spotted Kiwi, Kea, Antipodean Albatross, Saddleback, Little Penguin, Fiordland Crested Penguin, Emperor Penguin, Black Stilt, NZ Fairy Tern, Bellbird, Black-fronted Tern, Southern NZ Dotterel, Yellowhead, Fernbird, NZ Falcon, Red Knot, South Island Pied Oystercatcher, NZ Fantail, Silvereye, Black Petrel, Chatham Taiko, Chatham Petrel, Sooty Shearwater, Grey-faced Petrel, Fairy Prion, Hutton’s Shearwater and NZ King Shag. There were also brief poster presentations by Robin Toy (Whio), Scott Jarvie (wetland species), Oskar Ehrhardt (remote monitoring of seabirds), Francesca Cunninghame (Sooty Shearwater), Felix Borrowdale (seabirds in Foveaux Strait), Koshy Yohannan (Northern Royal Albatross), Theo Missen (NZ Fantail) and Isabella Brown (Cook’s Petrel).
At the AGM, President Natalie Forsdick presented the Society’s 2025 annual report and presented the annual awards, announcing that Alan Tennyson and Mary Thompson were both recipients of the 2026 Robert Falla Memorial Award for their contributions to ornithology and bird conservation, particularly in the field of paleobiology (Alan) and ornithology in the Otago region (Mary). The President also presented a Distinguished Life Member Award to Bruce McKinlay (in absentia) for his significant contribution towards enhancing governance of the Society and practical contributions over 40 years and a Meritorious Service Award to Graeme Loh for his significant service in achieving the objectives of the Society. She also presented the Marlborough region with the award for the largest proportional increase in membership, which was accepted by Marlborough Regional Representative Pat Crowe. The minutes of the 86th AGM are available here
Rahman Rasyidi won the Student Talk Award for the best student presentation, Theo Missen won the Student Poster Award for the best student poster presentation, Isabella Brown (in absentia) won the People’s Choice Poster Award for the best poster, and Eleanor Gunby (in absentia) won the Notornis Student Author Award for the best student Notornis paper. Olivia Ediriweera, Oskar Ehrhardt and Chloe Loomes attended the conference with the award of grants from our 2026 Fledgling Fund.
There were 40 entries submitted to the conference photo competition by 14 members. Once again, after the votes were counted, Arna Carlson won, this time followed by Chris Thompson and Rachel Hufton. Unsettled weather on Monday 1 June meant a couple of the organised field trips had to be cancelled but those that went ahead were enjoyed by participants (Diamond Lake, Butterfields wetland and Mou Waho, an island on Lake Wānaka). Others made their own car-pooling arrangements.
Birds New Zealand warmly thanks the conference organising committee (Dawn Palmer, Oscar Thomas, Gary Heaven, William Perry, Craig McKenzie, Bruce McKinlay, Martin Darrou, Philippa Agnew, Rachel Hufton, Georgina Pickerell, Maree Johnstone, Hamish Spencer), photo competition organiser (Craig McKenzie), field trip organisers and leaders (Oscar Thomas, Dawn Palmer, Georgina Pickerell, Pat Crowe, Maureen Howard, Maree Johnstone, Kurien ‘Koshy’ and Anne Yohannan; Rachel Hufton for the mist-netting workshop assisted by Mike Bell and Annemieke Hamilton for the Marking Gathering), the conference sponsors (Hawkshead Wine, Global Messenger, Faunatech, Druid Technology Company, Natural Solutions for Nature Ltd, e3 Scientific Ltd), the family of Barrie Heather for the donation of bird books for sale by silent auction to raise funds for the Project Assistance Fund which was organised by Vice President Ian Armitage, and the Queenstown Lakes District Council for hiring out the Lake Wānaka Centre at the community charity rate. We also warmly thank Potton & Burton Publishing, Hawkshead Wine and Faunatech for their generous donation of the award prizes, and Global Messenger for their donation of six transmitters and a one-year data package for the Birds New Zealand harrier project.
Abstracts of the presentations and posters are online here: https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Wanaka-2026-Conference-Programme.pdf
The 87th AGM of Birds New Zealand (OSNZ) will be held virtually in 2027, with the exact date to be determined. The next NZ Bird Conference will be held 3-5 June 2028, with the location to be announced later in 2026.
View more conference photos here. All photos were provided by Michael Szabo.