Hauraki Gulf (Auckland, New Zealand) and New Zealand's Far North Seabird Tours. Great itineraries for ship-based New Zealand Seabird Birdwatching Expeditions - Three Kings, NZ. South Pacific Seabird Expeditions and Oceanic Seabird Birdwatching Opportunities

Seabirds in the New Zealand and South Pacific Region
Pelagic seabirds are highly specialized. They number only 2-3% of the world's species of birds even though oceans cover more 60% of the planet's surface. Why is our region so important?

NEW ZEALAND is a two-thousand kilometre long mountainous island chain set in the vastness of the Great Southern and Pacific Oceans providing an essential breeding base for millions of seabirds.

New Zealand has the most diverse seabird community in the world with 84 types of seabirds breeding in the region. Of these, nearly half breed nowhere else in the world. In other words, seabirds are a vital component of our endemic fauna; they are major part of what makes New Zealand special. Many other seabirds visit New Zealand waters throughout the year, birds that breed in the Indian and southern Atlantic Oceans, far-eastern Pacific or the tropics.

But our story doesn't end with New Zealand. The Pacific is the greatest ocean on earth, with an area exceeding that of all dry land on the planet. Most seabirds breeding in New Zealand and on islands in the Southern Ocean migrate through the South Pacific during non-breeding periods. In a single season the entire population of a particular species may fly from one end of the ocean to the other. And seabirds breeding on Pacific islands add to this rich diversity. The South Pacific is home to some of the world's rarest and least-known seabirds. Pterodroma Pelagics/Kiwi Wildlife is leading the way with ship-based opportunities for seabird enthusiasts and birdwatchers to explore this fascinating region.