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PTERODROMA PELAGICS specialises in New Zealand seabird pelagics (seabird birdwatching tours). We offer regular trips for the Hauraki Gulf, NZ's Far North and Stewart Island. Our programme for extended pelagics and seabird expeditions explores our New Zealand and South Pacific oceanic settings with some unique seabird expeditions and boat-based birdwatching opportunities. Pterodroma Pelagics is a subsidiary of Auckland-based company Kiwi Wildlife Tours NZ Limited.
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. |
Click for larger view of Undersea New Zealand, courtesy NIWA |
Close viewing of NZ Storm Petrels Photo: Claire Mucklow UK |
The rediscovery and subsequent sightings of the New Zealand Storm Petrel - thought to be extinct for over 100 years - remains HOT NEWS. Click for New Zealand Storm Petrel News |
Our June 2006 Southeastern Polynesia voyage (incl Pitcairn Islands) was a great success.
Read Chris's report and find out more about our South Pacific expeditions.
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NEW BIRDING TOURS FOR 2007!
NEW ZEALAND FOR FULL-ON BIRDERS - A PELAGICS-RICH SPECIAL!!!
Dates: 24 February - 13 March 2007; Also 6 - 24 April 2007
Duration: 19 days (fly out from Stewart Island on Day 15)
Cost per person: NZ$7930 twin share/double. NZ$990 single supplement. Half board option available.
Seven top pelagics all round New Zealand (from the north of North Cape to the south of Stewart Island's South Cape; also West and East coasts of the main islands). At times great for seabirds!
We also target the endemic birds on land with night-time excursions for five species of kiwi; Tiritiri Matangi/Little Barrier for stitchbird, saddleback, takahe, red-crowned parakeet and others; wader sites in the North Island for wrybill, NZ dotterel and others; Central North Island for blue duck, NZ falcon, kokako, kaka, rifleman and other forest species, as well as wetland birds including fernbird and Australasian bittern; mountains of the South Island for kea, rock wren, orange-fronted and yellow-crowned parakeets, yellowhead and brown creeper; estuaries in the South Island for black stilt and black-fronted tern; Stewart Island for weka and forest species. A full-on birder's adventure.
For more details - full itinerary and checklists, contact us
Go to the Kiwi Wildlife Tours website for more New Zealand options and itinerary planning - we know New Zealand!
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 Save the Albatross Campaign
Most albatrosses and several other seabird species are heading for extinction. They are being unintentionally drowned in large numbers by "longline" fishing boats. Longlining is the single greatest threat to the world's seabirds. Much of it is carried out by "pirate" fishing boats. BirdLife's Save the Albatross Campaign is trying to stop the needless slaughter of these magnificent birds by ensuring that relevant international agreements are implemented that will benefit both the birds and the legal fishing industry. Clickhere to find out about the problem, its solutions, BirdLife's Campaign and how you can help.
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"Bryde's whale off Little Barrier"
by Sarah McBeath |
Artist Sarah McBeath came out on one of our early trips.
She saw it as an opportunity to get close to the Mokohinau Islands, a group she'd previously seen only from the mainland as distant lumps on the horizon. Her whale painting is also from that trip. She has kindly given us permission to use her beautiful paintings throughout our site. To see more of her work check out her web site www.bakedbean.co.nz/mcbeath.htm |
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Bookings - please contact us - info@nzseabirds.com
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Copyright Pterodroma Pelagics and @URL © 2004. All
material is protected by New Zealand, US and International Copyright Laws,
and may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted, included
on a web site or otherwise distributed by any means without explicit permission.
Contact Pterodroma Pelagics for further information.
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