| BIRDS |
| | Name | Breeding Area | Breeding Season | Dispersal/Migration |
 | Cook's Petrel
Pterodroma cookii | Little Barrier & Great Barrier Islands, Hauraki Gulf; Codfish Island (near Stewart Island); historically throughout NZ (North & South Islands) | Late August to late April | Winters in eastern central Pacific Ocean |
 | Pycroft's Petrel
Pterodroma pycrofti | Islands off northern NZ east coast: Stephenson. Aorangi,Mercury Is, Hen & Chickens and Poor Knights Islands - endemic to the Hauraki Gulf | October through March | Sea range not known but probably migrates to northern Pacific. No records from ourside NZ waters. |
 | Black-winged Petrel
P. nigripennis | Kermadec Is; Three Kings Is; Portland I; Ilots de Bass; Norfolk, Philip and Lord Howe Is; Chatham, Poor Knights Is; Islets off New Caledonia and Tonga | October through May | Migrates to northern Central Pacific May to October |
 | Grey-faced Petrel
P. macroptera | Offshore islands and certain mainland cliffs of North Island | Late February through December | Resident throughout the year in South Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea. Non-migratory. |
 | Kermadec Petrel
P. neglecta | Kermadec Is; Lord Howe, Rapa Ducie and Henderson Is; Tuamotus; Oeno Atoll | August through May
Some breed in Winter | North and South Pacific |
 | Providence Petrel
Pterodroma solandri | Lord Howe Island | February through November | Not well known |
 | White-naped Petrel
Pterodroma cervicalis | Macauley Island in the Kermadecs | October through June | Central Pacific |
 | White-headed Petrel
Pterodroma lessonii | Subantarctic Indian Ocean; Macquarie Island (Aus); NZ - Antipodes and Auckland Islands. | November to May | Ranges through southern oceans |
 | Soft-plumaged Petrel
Pterodroma mollis | Subantarctic Indian and Atlantic Oceans, and Antipodes Island, New Zealand. | December to May | Ranges through Southern Ocean |
 | Mottled Petrel
Pterodroma inexpectata | Fiordland (incl island in Lake Hauroko), Codfish and other islands off Stewart Island, and the Snares Islands | December to June | North Pacific |
 | Black Petrel
Procellaria parkinsoni | Little Barrier and Great Barrier Is | October to July | Present in offshore North I waters during the breeding season. Winters in eastern tropical Pacific March-November. |
 | Westland Black Petrel
Procellaria westlandica | West Coast of South I south from Punakaiki River | Mid February to December | Ranges over continental shelf waters between Cape Egmont and Foveaux Strait to the west, and between East Cape and Banks Peninsula to the east during the breeding season. From December to March. Whereabouts unknown. |
 | White-chinned Petrel
Procellaria aequinoctialis | Auckland, Campbell and Antipodes Is; South Georgia; Falkalnd Is; Marion and prine Edward Is; Crozet and Kerguelen Is; Inaccessible Is | September to May | Circumpolar range extending in NZ waters north to Cook Strait in Summer and far north in Winter. Seen most often to the south and east of NZ. |
 | Grey Petrel
Procellaria cinerea | In New Zealand region, at Antipodes and Campbell Islands. Breeds circumpolar subantarctic. | Breeds February to November | In summer and autumn immature Grey petrels move to areas off eastern coast of North island. Adults rarely move north of 45 S during this period.
During the breeding season adult females move further north than males, with winter and spring concentration known for areas of east Cape. We can now confirm their presence of North Auckland coast (19 June 05) during this period. |
 | Diving Petrel
Pelecanoides urinatrix | Many islands and islets off North, South, Stewart, Chatham, Solander and Snares Is; south-eastern Australian islands | April to February | Ranges throughout coastal waters |
 | NZ Storm Petrel
Pealeornis maoriana | Breeding location unknown, probably Outer Hauraki Gulf Islands | Probably November to April | North along the warm East Auckland Current. Possibly into the north Tasman Sea. |
 | White-faced SP
Pelagodroma marina | Temperate and subtropical Atlantic and around Australia & New Zealand. Hauraki Gulf (Mokohinaus, Poor Knights, Noises), Bay of Plenty, Motunau Is, around Stewart Island and Chathams | September/October to early March in the Hauraki Gulf | Pacific Ocean |
 | Grey-backed Storm Petrel
Oceanites nereis | Circumpolar subantarctic. Chathams, Antipodes, Auckland and Campbell Islands in the New Zealand region | September to March | Stays close to colonies after breeding, although some birds seen in NZ waters (eg Stewart Island) |
 | Wilson's Storm Petrel
Oceanites oceanicus | Subantarctic and Antarctica (including a number of colonies in the Ross Sea. | December to April | Northern Hemisphere. Seen along northern NZ coast April/May |
 | Fregetta sp
| * | * | *This bird was observed and photographed 35kms north of North Cape 21/05. |
 | Aberrantly plumaged Petrel
| * | * | * Aberrantly plumaged petrel photograph by Karen Baird en route to Kermadec Islands - 19 October 2007 |
| White-bellied Storm Petrel
Fregetta grallaria | Subtropical Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans, including Kermadecs and Lord Howe Islands in our region | January to June | Disperse at sea towards Fiji, Samoa and Tahiti in South Pacific |
 | Black-bellied Storm Petrel
Fregetta tropica | Circumpolar subantarctic, including Antipodes and Auckland Islands in our region. | December to April | Migrates to tropical waters in austral winter |
 | Cape Petrel
Daption capense australe | Antarctic mainland and many antarctic and subantarctic islands. Macquarie, Heard and Peter I Is; Palmer Archipelago; S.Shetland, S.Orkney, S.Sandwich and Balleny Is; Crozet and Kerguelen Is; Bouvetoya I; S.Georgia | August to March | Ranges around Southern seas as far north as the Tropic of Capricorn. Regularly beach-wrecked. |
 | Northern Giant Petrel
Macronectus halli | Macquarie I; Marion I; Crozet and Kerguelen Is; S.Georgia; Chatham Is; Antipodes, Auckland and Campbell Is; Stewart I | June to February | Often seen in NZ coastal waters especially around Cook Strait ferries and Banks Peninsula. In Winter young birds disperse north and eastwards. |
 | Southern Giant Petrel
Macronectus giganteus | S.Georgia, Marion, Macquarie and Heard Is; S.Shetland and S.Orkney Is; Crozet Is and on islands off Antarctica | August to April | Common visitor to NZ coastal waters |
 | Buller's Shearwater
Puffinus bulleri | Poor Knights Is, NZ | August to May | Migrates in Winter to subtropical North Pacific. |
 | Fluttering Sh.
Puffinus gavia | Many offshore islands around North I of NZ from Three Kings to Cook Strait and Marlborough Sounds. | August to February | Range in Winter extends to seas off S.Canterbury and sometimes as far as Chatham Is. Some, mainly young birds, migrate to eastern Australia in Winter and stay into early Summer. Stragglers reach New Caledonia and Vanuatu. |
 | Hutton's Shearwater
Puffinus huttoni | Seaward Kaikoura Range and possibly the Inland Kaikouras, NZ. | August to March | Absent from breeding grounds from mid-April to end of August. Abundant in coastal seas from Otago peninsula to Cook Strait. Winters in Australian seas though some birds still seen off Kaikoura. |
 | Flesh-footed Sh.
Puffinus carneipes | Many islands off the North I and south-western coast of Australia; Lord Howe I; Saint Paul I | September to May | Ranges around North I wandering as far south as Foveaux Strait and Chatham Is during the breeding season. NZ and Lord Howe I birds winter in North Pacific. |
 | Little Shearwater
Puffinus assimilis | Islands off the north-east coast of North I; Hen and Chickens; Stephenson I; Cavalli, Poor Knights, Mokohinau (Fanel)and Mercury Is | January to December | Ranges from about North Cape to Bay of Plenty. Rarely straggles south to Hawkes Bay. |
 | Sooty Shearwater
Puffinus griseus | Islands off NZ especially islands off Stewart I; Chatham, Antipodes, Auckland, Snares, Campbell, Solander and Macquarie Is; islands off Chile and Cape Horn; Falkland Is; islands off Tasmania and New South Wales. | September to May | Winters in northern, south-eastern and south-western Pacific. |
 | Short-tailed Sh.
Puffinus tenuirostris | Islands off south-eastern Australian coasts, in Bass Strait and around Tasmania. | September to May | Winters in the north Pacific. Straggles to NZ, Raoul I and Macquarie I. |
 | Wedge-tailed Shearwater
Puffinus pacificus | Kermadec Is
Islands off eastern and western Australia, inumerable islands and islets throughout Indian and Pacific Oceans, in the tropics and subtropics. | October to June | Kermadec birds spend June to October in the south-eastern North Pacific. |
 | Fairy Prion
Pachyptila turtur | Islands off North, South and Stewart Is; Chatham Is; Antipodes Is; The Snares; islands off SE Australia; Crozet and Kerguelen Is; Falkland Is | August to February | Abundant in offshore subtropical waters from North Cape to Foveaux Strait. Other populations throughout subantarctic zone. |
| Antarctic Prion
Pachyptila desolata | | | |
 | Blue Penguin
Eudyptula minor | Throughout New Zealand; islands of the Hauraki Gulf | August to March | Commonly seen in coastal waters all year round. Moulting (up to 10 days) during breeding season Dec-March |
 | Yellow-eyed Penguin
Megadyptes antipodes | South-eastern South Island, Stewart Island and islands nearby, Auckland and Campbell Islands | September to March | Stay close to breeding grounds, some migrate north towards Cook Strait |
 | Fiordland Crested Penguin
Eudyptes pachyrhynchus | Rarest of all penguins. Breeds South Westland, Fiordland, Stewart Islands and islands nearby. | July to December | Leave colonies mid December/early January. Adults return to moult at breeding sites (up to 20 days) January/March; sometimes along southern coasts; birds at sea until breeding starts |
 | Snowy (Wandering) Albatross
Diomedea exulans | Subantarctic islands of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Also Macquarrie Island. | Mid-December-February onwards. | Subantarctic range. Fairly common in NZ seas with a northward shift in Winter. Breeds/disperses in alternate years. |
 | Gibson's Albatross
Diomedea gibsoni | Auckland Islands | Breeds (biennially if successful. Jan (eggs laid) to approx Dec (young fledge) | Ranges widely through Southern Oceans (circumpolar). Also NZ coastal waters in winter. |
 | Antipodean Albatross
Diomedea antipodensis | Antipodes Island (with a few pairs on Campbell Island) | Biennially (if successful) from mid-Jan (eggs laid). Young fledge approx Dec. | Southern Ocean east to South America, and west to Australia |
 | White-capped Alb.
Thalassarche [cauta] steadii | Disappointment, Auckland and Adams Is in the Auckland Is. | August to April | Not well known |
| Grey-headed Albatross
Thalassarche chrysostoma | Campbell Is; S.Georgia; Diego Ramirez Is; Marion and Prince Edward Is; Crozet Is; Macquarie I. | September to May | Juveniles from Campbell I visit eastern Australia. |
 | Salvin's Albatross
T. [cauta] salvini | Bounty Is and the Snares | September to April | Ranges from NZ to the South Pacific and south Atlantic coasts of South America. |
 | Black-browed Alb.
T. [melanophrys] melanophrys | Ildefonso I; Falkland Is; S.Georgia, Antipodes; Bishop and Clerks I; Kerguelen Is; Heard and Macquarie Is. | September to April | Dispersal to southern Indian and Atlantic Oceans. |
 | Campbell Albatross
Thalassarche impavida | Campbell I; Antipodes? | August to April | Moves northward to Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean between New Caledonia and the Marquisas. |
 | Buller's Albatross
T. [bulleri] bulleri | Snares Islands and Solander Island (Foveaux Strait) | Late December/January to October | East to South America & South Atlantic; west to South Australia |
 | Pacific (Northern Buller's) Albatross
T. [bulleri] sp. | Motuhara and the Sisters in the Chathams ; Three Kings Is. | September to June | Seen at sea Cook Strait to East Cape; off Chilean coast. |
 | Indic Yellow-nosed Alb.
T. [chlororhynchos] carteri | Tristan da Cunha; Gough, Prince Edward Is; Saint-Paul and Amsterdam Is. | August to May | Visits NZ waters |
 | Northern Royal Albatross
Diomedea [epomophora] sanfordi | Sisters and Motuhara in the Chathams; Tairoa Head, Otago | September to September | Subantarctic seas. During breeding season seen in NZ waters from Cook Strait to East Cape. Breeds/disperses in alternate years. |
 | Southern Royal Albatross
Diomedea [epomophora] epomophora | Campbell and Auckland Is | September to October | Dispersal as above. During breeding season seen in Southern NZ waters north to Cook Strait. |
 | Black-backed Gull
Larus dominicanus | Coastal NZ, offshore islands, Chathams, Auckland, Campbell and Antipodes; also breeeds inland in NZ region. Subantarctic and temperate southern hemisphere including Australia | October to February | Ranges widely in NZ |
 | Red-billed Gull
Larus scopulinus | On coast from Far North (Three Kings) to Stewart Island, Chathams and Subantarctic Islands (Snares, Auckland, Campbell). Mokohinau Islands, Hauraki Gulf | October to February | Common in coastal waters all year round. |
| Arctic Skua
Stercorarius parasiticus | Arctic and subarctic | Northern hemisphere summer | Migrates to Southern Oceans, January to April |
| Pomarine Skua
Stercorarius pomarinus | Arctic | Northern hemisphere summer | Migrates to tropics and southern oceans. NZ coast, December to April |
 | Brown skua
Catharacta skua | Fiordland, Stewart Island esp neighbouring islands and stacks, Chathams and Subantarctic Islands; occasionally see in Hauraki Gulf all year | September to March | Southern oceans |
| South Polar Skua
Catharacta maccormicki | In New Zealand region, Ross Dependency Antarctica(Cape Crozier, Possession Island,Cape Bird, Sven Foyn Island and Cape Adare) | November to March | Migrate to northern Pacific |
 | Caspian Tern
Sterna caspia | Widely through New Zealand; coastal spits and shellbanks; some breed inland on river beds and lakeshores | September to January | Coastal New Zealand, southern birds tend to move north |
 | White-fronted Tern
Sterna striata | Coastal New Zealand incl Stewart Island, Chathams, Auckland Islands. Islands of Hauraki Gulf. | October to February | Most stay on New Zealand coasts durng winter. Some birds (mostly young) to south-eastern Australia (may to Sept). One of the 'kahawai birds' - often seen feeding with schools of kahawai and other fish |
| Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaea | Arctic | Northern hemisphere summer | Southern Oceans. A few seen each summer in New Zealand |
| Antarctic Tern
Sterna vittata | South Cape, Stewart island; NZ Subantarctic Islands; circumpolar subantarctic | September to April | Stays close to breeding grounds |
 | Fairy Tern
Sterna nereis | NZ subspecies (endangered) breeds Kaipara Harbour, and Waipu, Mangawhai and Pakiri (occ) coastal Hauraki Gulf; Australia and New Caledonia | November to February | Gather Kaipara Harbour over winter |
| Little Tern
Sterna albifrons | Australia and SE Asia | May to July (SE Asia); September to January (Australia) | Seen around NZ coast October to March; coastal Hauraki Gulf (eg Waipu, Mangawhai),Manuaku Harbour & Firth of Thames (eg Miranda) |
 | Grey ternlet
Procelsterna cerulea | Kermadecs in NZ region; tropical and subtropical Pacific | August to February | Northern NZ from late Dec/very early Jan: Three Kings, Sugarloaf Rock (Poor Knights), Maori Rocks (Mokohinau Group) and Volkner Rocks (Bay of Plenty). |
 | White (Fairy) Tern
Gygis alba | Tropical seas; Kermadec Islands in NZ region. | October to March | Occasionally reaches NZ. Two seen off North Cape (Jan 2004) |
| Red-tailed Tropicbird
Phaethon rubricauda | Breeds Kermadec Islands (NZ), Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands, and many islands in the Pacific | December to August | Generally remain at sea while not breeding |
 | A. Gannet
Morus serrator | Many islands and two headlands (eg Muriwai) around NZ Coast; Hauraki Gulf - Sugarloaf & High Peak Rocks (poor Knights), Maori Rocks (Mokohinau Islands) and Broken islands (Great Barrier Island). Southernmost colony Solanders. | July to January | Most juveniles to south & eastern Australia. |
 | Pied Shag
Phalacrocorax varius | Colonies in trees along shoreline, estuaries and harbours coastal New Zealand. | All year | Coastal New Zealand. Rarely seen inland |
 | Spotted Shag
Stictocarbo punctatus | Southern New Zealand from Wellington south | Variable with peaks through year; South Island: September to January | Coastal, stay in vicinity of colonies |
 | Stewart Island Shag
Leucocarbo chalconotus | Stewart Island, and Otago Coast | August to March | Coastal waters of Otago, Foveaux Strait and Stewart Island |
 | King (Rough-faced) Shag
Leucocarbo carunculatus | Marlborough Sounds only | May to November | Marlborough Sounds only |
 | Reef Heron
Egretta sacra | Dark phase only in NZ. Rocky shores and cliff-edge veg. Northern NZ and Hauraki Gulf; less common further south. Marlborough Sounds, Catlins Coast & Stewart Island. | September to March | Coastal |
 | White-faced Heron
Ardea novaehollandiae | Open country (nests in trees) and coastal NZ, Chathams. | June to February | Only occasinally reported prior 1935. Now common throughout NZ. Vagrant elsewhere (eg Kermadecs, Snares, Auckland & Campbell Islands) |
 | Shore Plover
Thinornis novaeseelandiae | South East I & Western Reef, Chathams Group with translocated birds and Portland Island (Mahia Peninsula, northern Hawkes Bay). Formerly widespread through coastal NZ. Two birds were at Beehive Island in the Hauraki Gulf* | October to February | Some birds have been seen away from localities listed.
* The Dept of Conservation, amidst great opposition removed the two birds (both males) from Beehive Island in the Hauraki Gulf.
To have any chance of seeing these birds, birders will have to go the CHATHAM ISLANDS, or Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre to see these special very birds in cages! |
 | NZ Dotterel
Charadrius obscurus | Northern NZ (from Bay of Plenty to Far North); Stewart Island (above bush line). | August to February | NZ only. Some stay at breeding places, but most will move to flocking sites (eg Waipu, Omaha, Mangawhai, Whangapoaua, Great Barrier Island)in winter. Stewart Island birds move to Paterson Inlet and cross to Southland. |
| OTHER MARINE LIFE |
 | Bryde's Whale
Balaenoptera edeni | | | |
 | Common Dolphin
Delphinus delphis | | | |
 | Bottle-nosed Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus | | | |
 | Orca
Orcinus orca | | | |
| Long-finned Pilot Whale
Globicephala melas | | | |
| NZ Fur Seal
Arctocephalus forsteri | | | |
| Sunfish
Mola mola | | | |
| Blue Shark
Prionace glauca | | | |
| Mako Shark
Isurus oxyrinchus | | | |
| Hammerhead Shark
Sphyrna zygaena | | | |
| Marlin
Makaira nigricans | | | |
| Manta Ray
Mobula japanica | | | |
| Flying Fish
| | | |
 | Fish concentrations
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