Once so common that they were a serious pest of crops, orchards & gardens, kākāriki/ red-crowned parakeets are now rare on the mainland. Because they feed & nest on or near to the ground, they are extremely vulnerable to predation. 

This was the first bird species to be released on Tiritiri Matangi. In early 1974, permits were obtained to release kākāriki on both Cuvier Island and Tiritiri Matangi. Cage-reared birds from Mt Bruce were flown up to Auckland. Chris Smuts-Kennedy put them in the back of a public service vehicle and drove them to Whitianga where he was where he was to get a boat to Cuvier. However the boat was not there – its owner had mistaken the date and gone fishing. By now some of the birds had died from the stress. Chris drove the birds back to Auckland and put them in a friend’s aviary at Tuakau. A few days later he and Wally Sander, the Chief Ranger of Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park Board, took the survivors to Tiritiri Matangi and released them. A few months later a number were released on Cuvier as well. 

This grey bird’s mournful call can often be heard before they’re seen on the island. Stubby winged, the kōkako is known to only fly short distances, so it is best to look for them hopping around the branches or on the ground.

First translocated in 1997 and again in 2007, the birds produce a number of sounds including soft clucks and cat-like mewing notes. As a managed population, the love lives of these birds is carefully monitored and although typically they mate for life, volunteers have noted that divorces are not unheard of, especially after translocations.

These lively birds, with a distinctive chestnut-brown saddle, were translocated onto the island in 1984, and they quickly established a healthy population. After initially having a few bumper baby years which saw couples producing four clutches a season, two clutches are now typical as the population has reached capacity on the island. Thanks to this healthy population, birds have been transferred to nine sites around New Zealand, including Maungatautari and Auckland Zoo.

Tiritiri can lay claim to having the longest-lived tīeke known, which reached the grand old age of 21. She had outlived two mates and was on to her third!

If you want to track down a tīeke, listen out for its distinctive alarm-like territorial call which belies its gentle nature.

Still widespread at time of European settlement, disappeared from Northland and Auckland towards end of 1800’s and Great Barrier Island in the 1950’s. 

Introduced in 1989 from Hauturu / Little Barrier Island. Population growth was rapid.

A small population of these threatened big, blue birds can be found around the lighthouse and the northern part of the island, snacking on fresh grass roots. Originally two males – called Mr Blue and Stormy – were translocated to Tiritiri for advocacy purposes in 1991. Despite being partnerless they showed clucky behaviour, so they were gifted an egg by the Wildlife Service, which they successfully hatched. Since then there have been a number of translocations of breeding and advocacy birds.

One particularly friendly bird, Greg, was known to meet the ferry, go to the beach, frequent the Visitor Centre and even supervise working weekend projects! In fact, his footprint can be found around in the concrete near the bunkhouse. 

Described by Buller in the 19th century as “one of our most common birds”, mātāta/fernbird have suffered greatly through habitat loss. 

In 2001 thirteen mātāta were rescued from the path of the new Northern Motorway near Orewa and transferred to Tiritiri Matangi where they immediately disappeared into the thick ground cover. An unbanded bird was observed in 2002, demonstrating successful breeding. Although requiring patience to see, their short, sharp, metallic single or double note calls may now be heard from most patches of muehlenbeckia or bracken around the Island, and they are undoubtedly doing well. 

One of the world’s rarest ducks. Once common, declined in numbers due to predation (cats, dogs and mustelids) as well as loss of habitat. Also hunted until protection in 1921. 

First introduced to Tiritiri Matangi 1987 with a second release in 1989. In June 2002 a further 5 males and 2 females were introduced followed by another 4 in July. However, these last 4 were all predated by harriers. On Tiritiri, they are struggling. Breed regularly but chicks have a high mortality rate due to predation, probably from eels, pukeko, black-backed gulls, harriers and even takahē. Some birds may leave the island of their own accord.

The korimako/bellbird are named for their bell-like song which can be almost deafening when they are gathered at a prime feeding location such as in Wattle Valley when the wattles are in flower during the winter months. Some male bellbirds migrate seasonally to adjacent areas of the mainland but the more sedentary females mostly remain on the island. 

The male is a dark olive green, paler on underparts, with a glossy purple head. Wings and tail a dark bluish black. The female has similar plumage, slightly browner in shade, none of the purple gloss and has a narrow white stripe across the cheek from the bill. Both sexes have red eyes. Bellbirds have a short curved bill and a slightly forked tail. 

Weighing in at the size of a mouse or a sparrow, adult wētā punga provide a sizeable insect snack, and due to predation its range was reduced to just Te Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island.

It was previously distributed throughout Northland and Auckland, including the islands in the Hauraki Gulf. However as part of a DOC recovery programme, and thanks to breeding programmes at Butterfly Creek and Auckland Zoo, wētā punga are making a comeback. Tiritiri received its first translocation of wētā punga in 2011, with several top-up translocations since then. Monitoring shows that they are thriving and spreading across the island.

The pūriri moth is NZ’s largest native winged insect. It spends up to 6 years in a larval stage in tree trunks, and emerges as a large green moth in its last week of life.

As well as occupying the pūriri tree, it is known to use native beech, titoki, kānuka, maire, and smaller trees such as mānuka as its host in the larval stage. Pūriri moths may emerge at any time of the year, though are most commonly seen between October and December, with a smaller emergence in March.

Perfectly camouflaged in green and grey, the Duvaucel’s Gecko is New Zealand’s largest gecko.

First established on Tiritiri in 2006, with a top-up in 2013, these geckos have bred successfully and have dispersed widely across the island. The use of tracking tunnels, fitted with an ink pad and white paper to record footprints, gives researchers a good indication of the state of the population.

These ancient reptiles, from before the dinosaur-age, were brought to the island in 2003. Since then they have established a small population. Although not a common sight for daytime visitors, these nocturnal reptiles can often be spotted at night.

Equipped with large claws, tuatara are capable of making their own burrows, though they are known to co-habit with seabirds such as ōi/grey-faced petrels which nest around the coast, as well as with kiwi.

The last surviving native owl, the ruru is one of the few natural predators on the island. Their diet is largely made up of insects, though it is known to supplement this with birds and reptiles, particularly when feeding chicks.

Old trees filled with holes make prime nesting sites for ruru, though given that much of the forest on Tiritiri is new, they have taken to nesting in the root systems of trees or inside rotting ponga and cabbage trees.

If you’re staying overnight listen out for the onomatopoeic ‘morepork’ call which can be heard from afar. They screech a repeated ‘cree’ when hunting. In summer look out for the moon-like eyes of their young who can be seen, sometimes huddled together, roosting. 

Many people come to the island with the desire to see this bird, as it is the only publicly-accessible place to see them in the Auckland region.

Thirty one of these tiny birds were transferred onto the island in 2009, followed by two further translocations. Now there are more than 80 known pairs that have spread throughout the island. Unfortunately their high- frequency, low-volume calls are beyond the hearing range of many people, so you’ll need beady eyes to see them.

Tiritiri’s population of these small inquisitive birds are part of New Zealand’s longest population study, which will help scientists learn more about these forest birds.

Initially translocated in 1992, they have dispersed across the island. A large part of their diet is insects, so don’t be fooled by their apparent friendliness – they are interested in the bugs you may have disturbed when you walk by. They will also tremble one leg to encourage their insect prey to move to the surface.

Translocated to Tiritiri in 1995, hihi were once widespread throughout the North Island, but predation and habitat loss has devastated their population and range.

Males are easily identifiable with their yellow collar, though the females are more demure. Females can sometimes be mistaken for a bellbird – just look for the distinctive cocked-tail of the hihi.

The male’s bright yellow stripe across his wing is actually a good indication of  health. A study on Tiritiri has shown how hihi health is directly related to the availability of carotenoids – the yellow pigment that colours coprosma, māhoe and tī kōuka/cabbage tree fruits.

As well as being some of the brightest birds on the island, the hihi can lay claim to being the most caring parents because they are known to forage for feathers in order to cover their eggs in the nest.