New Zealand currently has 206 species of breeding birds, of which 94 (46%) are endemic, 76 are native, and 37 are introduced. When the bird fauna is expanded to include vagrant and extinct species, New Zealand has 482 species. Prior to the late arrival of humans (approximately 700 years ago), New Zealand's unique island ecosystem had been primarily dominated by birds, insects, and reptiles. From flightless wonders such as the kiwi and kakapo (world's heaviest parrot), to spectacular seabirds the likes of the isolative yellow-eyed penguin and majestic wandering albatross, to the world's rarest wader (black stilt), New Zealand's diverse array of peerless avifauna have been at the forefront of conservation initiatives and ecotourism. Taken by award-winning New Zealand wildlife photographer and author Kimball Chen, this gallery of New Zealand bird photography is available for conservation projects, advertising, or fine art gallery prints. Please contact us today for a quote. For more details and research about New Zealand birds, please visit www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz or www.birdsnz.org.nz

A growing selection high-quality images of North American birds, mammals, and landscape can be found in these galleries.

Biodiversity is facing mounting threats from habitat loss and fragmentation. The homes of many wildlife species are being destroyed as their native habitats are being converted for human uses, including urban development, agriculture, mines, and other extractive industries. Healthy ecosystems depend on plant and animal species as their foundations. When a species becomes endangered, it is a sign that the ecosystem is slowly falling apart. Each species that is lost triggers the loss of other species within its ecosystem.