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Showcase of New Zealand Wildlife Photography

304 images Created 25 Apr 2009

Selected wildlife pictures from New Zealand. For more photos of a specific species, please return to the homepage and click on the list of the desired New Zealand wildlife species on your right hand side of the screen. Or simply use the search engine at the top-right of your screen.

From surfing Hector's Dolphins to leaping Dusky Dolphins to baby New Zealand Fur Seals to ferocious leopard seals, to swimming blue penguins to diving Fiordland Crested Penguins and home-bound Yellow-eyed Penguins, to diving sperm whales, and to soaring albatrosses and petrels, New Zealand has many species to value and protect.

New Zealand wildlife is far from complete without the many endemic bird species that have developed in geographic and human isolation for thousands of years. Keas and Kakas and Kiwis and many Albatross species are currently on the endangered species list.




Looking for more wildlife? Click on "Galleries" at the top of this page, and be sure to visit our galleries on:

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***New Zealand Birds***

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  • 12x36-inch print of Hector dolphins surfing a breaking wave at Curio Bay, New Zealand.
    Surfing Dolphins.tif
  • At the end of a long day at sea, an endangered yellow-eyed penguin returns to shore at Curio Bay, New Zealand.  This unique and rocky beach is an ancient petrified forest that dates back to the Jurassic era.  Before continuing inland to its nest, the solitary penguin lingers under the majestic Aurora Australis and Milky Way.  September 1st, 2013.
    Penguin under the Aurora and Milky W...jpg
  • Portrait of Sirocco, a critically endangered kakapo parrot from New Zealand
    Kakapo portrait 01_H7C4931.jpg
  • Fiordland Crested Penguin, West Coast, Westland, New Zealand
    Fiordland Crested Penguin 42_3454.jpg
  • During the 70 year lifespan of a sperm whale, it can travel the entire distance of the Earth!  Each year, it wanders the ocean solitarily for thousands of miles.  Kaikoura, New Zealand
    Sperm Whale and Kaikoura Mountain Ra...jpg
  • The rarely seen rainbow coat of primary and secondary feathers from an outstretched and wild kea parrot.  When the wings are tucked back in, the kea appears dull olive in color.  Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
    Kea 90_2200.jpg
  • The awe-inspiring Milky Way bears semblance to a celestial flipper, reaching out to a solitary penguin standing on a rocky outcrop in the Curio Bay Fossil Forest.  With a declining population of less than 5000, the endangered Yellow-eyed Penguin is one of the world’s rarest penguins, and found only in New Zealand.<br />
<br />
Protecting our night sky from light pollution is not simply for the sake of humans, but also for our wildlife.  Although research of penguins’ orientation at night is still in its infancy, scientists believe that birds rely not only magnetism but also the stars and celestial rotation.
    Yellow-eyed Penguin under the Milky ...jpg
  • Photo (not for sale)
    Tuatara 03_9906.jpg
  • A pair of beautiful Australasian gannets soar along the cliffs at Muriwai, New Zealand.
    Australasian Gannet pair in flight 3...jpg
  • Great Cormorant fishing and eating a fresh trout, New Zealand
    Black Shag 09_5306-2.jpg
  • Fiordland Crested Penguin, West Coast, Westland, New Zealand
    Fiordland Crested Penguin 16_3272.jpg
  • Guess which bird I am?  New Zealanders, you better know this one!  A silhouette of a kiwi and egg.
    Kiwi, Haast Brown_5175.jpg
  • Preening male and female New Zealand Fantails, Southland.
    New Zealand Fantail 36_H7C3836.jpg
  • Northern Royal Albatross in flight, New Zealand
    Northern Royal Albatross 13_8436.jpg
  • White-fronted Tern, Stewart Island
    White-fronted Tern 12_0600.jpg
  • Fiordland Crested Penguin, West Coast, Westland, New Zealand
    Fiordland Crested Penguin 37_3413.jpg
  • The whitehead is most commonly heard chattering away with squeaks and buzzes within its flock in the forest canopy.  Some calls even sound like that of the canary, giving it its alternative name of the 'bush canary'.<br />
<br />
Here, a whitehead rests on a dried flax-flower stem on Tiritiri Matangi, New Zealand.
    Whitehead 01_H7C0046.jpg
  • With remarkable grace and precision, a Wandering Albatross capitalizes on its enormous wingspan (up to 11 feet 6 inches) to effortlessly soar over the ocean surface.   Dynamic soaring is the flying technique that allows the albatross to stay aloft for hours on end, all while efficiently conserving its energy.
    Wandering Albatross 39_8511.jpg
  • Yellow-eyed Penguin, Curio Bay, New Zealand
    Yellow-eyed Penguin 97_5726.jpg
  • "What's that?  Speak up please!  I'm the New Zealand Rock Wren, one of New Zealand's tiniest birds which means my ears are tiny!"  This vulnerable species is not much bigger than a ping-pong ball, and New Zealand's only true alpine bird!
    New Zealand Rock Wren 02_3206.jpg
  • Pulling back its wings for a high-speed plunge into the waters, an Australasian gannet dives for fish up along the Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand.
    Australasian Gannet diving 35_3312.jpg
  • Two Australasian Crested Grebe chicks anticipate as a parent leans in to feed a freshly caught fish, Lake Hayes, New Zealand.
    Great Crested Grebe 09_6544.jpg
  • Fiordland Crested Penguin, West Coast, New Zealand
    Fiordland Crested Penguin 85_7802.jpg
  • Tui on flax, Waiheke Island, New Zealand
    Tui 72_H7C7324.jpg
  • New Zealand is poorly represented having just 2 species of kingfisher.  One is the widespread and well-known Sacred Kingfisher and the other the introduced Laughing Kookaburra.
    Sacred Kingfisher 10_7075.jpg
  • Stilts indeed!  A Pied Stilt showing off its long long legs, at Waiheke Island, New Zealand
    Pied Stilt 27_H7C7604.jpg
  • Yellow-eyed Penguin, Curio Bay, New Zealand
    Yellow-eyed Penguin 78_6649.jpg
  • Maori legend says that the Maori god Maui became angry with the saddleback because he didn’t bring him water when Maui was lassoing the sun to slow it down.   Maui grabbed the tieke with his fiery hand and burnt its feathers. From that day the saddleback wore a chestnut-red ‘saddle’.
    Saddleback 02_4876.jpg
  • Kea parrot foraging for food underneath tree bark, during an early winter dawn in Fiordland, New Zealand.
    Kea Parrot 27_2157.jpg
  • Dusky Dolphins swimming underwater, New Zealand
    Underwater Dusky Dolphins 41_0214.jpg
  • Kea, portrait, Fiordland, New Zealand
    Kea 46_8568.jpg
  • The Wandering Albatross has the largest wingspan of any living bird, at up to 11.5 feet, allowing it to glide for hours without having to beat its wings.  New Zealand.
    Wandering Albatross 33_8528.jpg
  • A Blue Penguin propels through the water, New Zealand.
    Blue Penguin 11_5395.jpg
  • The kokako lives in tall native forest, often staying hugh up in the trees, where it eats berries, leaves, fern fronds, flowers, buds, and insects.  With good agility, this kokako balances on two branches while feeding on leaves on Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand.
    Kokako 01_0181.jpg
  • A wild Stewart Island Kiwi foraging along the forest floor at Stewart Island, New Zealand
    Kiwi 01_9649.jpg
  • White-capped Albatross, Southern Royal Albatross, New Zealand
    2 Diff Albatrosses_0920.jpg
  • Yellow-eyed Penguin, endangered, New Zealand
    Yellow-eyed Penguin 141_9596.jpg
  • Kaka, Stewart Island, New Zealand
    Kaka 28_9818.jpg
  • Bar-tailed Godwit, Miranda, New Zealand
    Bar-tailed Godwit 05_5090.jpg
  • Ring-necked Pheasant coming out of the forest clearing, Waiheke Island, New Zealand
    Common Pheasant 03_H7C8155.jpg
  • A New Zealand Fur Seal surfaces for air, next to our pelagic boat, just off the coast of Stewart Island.
    New Zealand Fur Seal 40_H7C0355.jpg
  • Kakapo, critically endangered, New Zealand
    Kakapo 04_H7C5027.jpg
  • Black-fronted Tern, New Zealand
    Black-fronted Tern 07_2531.jpg
  • New Zealand Scaup, Southland, New Zealand
    New Zealand Scaup 09_9352.jpg
  • Fiordland Crested Penguin, West Coast, New Zealand
    Fiordland Crested Penguin 57_0170.jpg
  • Previously thought to be primarily vegetarian, the takahe is now known to be an opportunistic feeder.  At times it will eat other birds!  Here, a takahe on Tiritiri Matangi holds a blade of grass, like a peace offering.
    Takahe 27_H7C1524.jpg
  • Wrybill, (Anarhynchus frontalis), New Zealand
    Wrybill 04_4752.jpg
  • Dusky Dolphin, Kaikoura, New Zealand
    Dusky Dolphin 30_5578.jpg
  • Yellow-crowned Parakeet looking for food on the forest floor, Ulva Island, New Zealand
    Yellow-crowned Parakeet 03_0443.jpg
  • Silvereye, blossom tree, New Zealand
    Silvereye 18_7962.jpg
  • Royal Spoonbill feeding in Invercargill Estuary, Southland, New Zealand
    Royal Spoonbill 46_4794.jpg
  • New Zealand Falcon, Fiordland
    New Zealand Falcon 13_9973.jpg
  • Yellow-eyed Penguin, Catlins, New Zealand
    Yellow-eyed Penguin 35_9533.jpg
  • Banded Dotterel and its broken wing display, Stewart Island, New Zealand
    Banded Dotterel 03_9587.jpg
  • Northern Giant Petrel, New Zealand
    Northern Giant Petrel 05_0987.jpg
  • Paradise Shelduck at Hooker Valley, Mount Cook
    Paradise Shelduck at Hooker Valley 0...jpg
  • A beautiful NZ wood pigeon in flight in the Southland forest.
    NZ Wood Pigeon in flight 32_H7C6691.jpg
  • Silvereye foraging for nectar and berries amongst the autumn trees in Central Otago, New Zealand
    Silvereye 47_9770.jpg
  • Hutton's Shearwater, Kaikoura, New Zealand
    Hutton's Shearwater 03_3858.jpg
  • Tui displaying it's brilliant white cape, in the spring blossoms, New Zealand
    Tui and Cherry Blossom 51_6621.jpg
  • Rifleman, Fiordland, Routeburn, New Zealand
    Rifleman 01_8402.jpg
  • Tuatara (photo not for sale)
    Tuatara 01.jpg
  • Takahe portrait, Tiritiri Matangi, New Zealand
    Takahe Portrait 33_H7C1650.jpg
  • Who wants swimming lessons?  Gather round everyone, we'll start with the birdy paddle at the shallow end!  A group of Fiordland Crested Penguins explore the beach after a long day out at sea, along the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand.
    Fiordland Crested Penguin 10_0050.jpg
  • Wandering Albatross, Kaikoura, New Zealand
    Wandering Albatross 01_1192.jpg
  • The kakariki was the first bird to be reintroduced to Tiritiri Matangi in 1974.  It was the first time in the world that captive-reared birds had been successfully released into the wild.
    Red-crowned Parakeet 21_0429.jpg
  • Happy birthday little guy!  This endangered Black-billed chick hasn't even fully hatched.  Maybe it's more comfortable in the cozy shell?  Southland, New Zealand.
    Black-billed Gull 20_4407.jpg
  • The tui is beloved and highly regarded by New Zealanders because of its rich and melodious song.
    Tui Singing on Kowhai 53_H7C5989.jpg
  • Blue Duck, Hollyford River, Fiordland, New Zealand
    Blue Duck 06_3059.jpg
  • Stewart Island Robin, New Zealand
    Stewart Island Robin 01_9673.jpg
  • Yellow-eyed Penguin, Curio Bay, New Zealand
    Yellow-eyed Penguin 148_H7C4106.jpg
  • Kea, early winter dawn in Fiordland, New Zealand
    Kea 01_2101.jpg
  • South Island Tomtit, Fiordland, New Zealand
    South Island Tomtit 09_8441.jpg
  • Penguins can fly!  A cliff-jumping Yellow-eyed penguin, Stewart Island, New Zealand
    Yellow-eyed Penguin 124_2136.jpg
  • Pukeko are the slimmer cousins of the Takahe.  They stalk proudly around flicking their white scuts.
    Pukeko 39_6896.jpg
  • Weka, Milford Track, Fiordland
    Western Weka, Milford Track 02_H7C42...jpg
  • A streaky comb-over and yellow goggles...a timeless portrait of an endangered Yellow-eyed Penguin, hiding amongst the tall grass, Moeraki, New Zealand
    Yellow-eyed Penguin Portrait 135_979...jpg
  • An Australasian Gannet soars majestically above the ocean with the painterly lines of an eroding cliff in the backdrop at Muriwai, New Zealand.  The gannet generally feeds over continental shelves or inshore waters, seldom far from land. Its diet is comprised mainly of pelagic fish, especially pilchard, anchovies and jack mackerel, but also squid and garfish. Prey is caught mainly by plunge-diving, but it is also seen regularly attending trawlers.
    Australasian Gannet 26_7505.jpg
  • Dusky Dolphin pictures and photos, Kaikoura, New Zealand
    Dusky Dolphin 13_5253.jpg
  • Black Swan, nesting season, New Zealand
    Black Swan 01_8778.jpg
  • Yellow-eyed Penguin, Curio Bay, New Zealand
    Yellow-eyed Penguin 54_5668.jpg
  • Himalayan Tahr, New Zealand
    Himalayan Tahr 01.jpg
  • Kaka, Stewart Island, New Zealand
    Kaka 01.jpg
  • Canadian Geese entering Lake Pukaki, New Zealand (12x33 inch print)
    Canadian Geese entering Lake Pukaki.jpg
  • Kea, adult preening juvenile, New Zealand
    Kea 61_9908.jpg
  • Abstract of a White-fronted Tern in flight, Akaroa, New Zealand
    White Fronted Tern 11_9287.jpg
  • Fiordland Crested Penguin, West Coast, New Zealand
    Fiordland Crested Penguin 52_3531.jpg
  • A spectacular bird's eye view of a gannet colony on the clifftops between Maori Bay and Muriwai Beach.  This Takapu (gannet) Refuge at Otakamiro Point is one of only three mainland gannet colonies in New Zealand.
    Australasian Gannet 27_7475.jpg
  • With flippers outstretched, this little Fiordland Crested Penguin dreams of flying one day!  Munro Beach, New Zealand
    Fiordland Crested Penguin 81_7661.jpg
  • Kaka, Stewart Island, New Zealand
    Kaka 27_9798.jpg
  • Cape Petrel, New Zealand
    Cape Petrel 05_1161.jpg
  • Long blades from a cabbage tree artistically mask a briefly posing Saddleback on Tiritiri Matangi, New Zealand.
    Saddleback 07_H7C9964.jpg
  • From this hidden angle, the endemic tui somewhat resembles a hummingbird!
    Tui portrait 56_H7C3447.jpg
  • Saddlebacks were the first endangered species to be released on Tiritiri Matangi, New Zealand.  The Navy's HMNZS Pukaki brought 22 birds from Cuvier Island to Tiri in 1984.
    Saddleback 09_MG_0145.jpg
  • Pukeko, Travis Wetland, New Zealand
    Pukeko 19_1578.jpg
  • Yellow-eyed Penguin, endangered, New Zealand
    Yellow-eyed Penguin 142_9615.jpg
  • New Zealand wood pigeon
    New Zealand Wood Pigeon 10_8092.jpg
  • Tui and Springtime Blossoms, New Zealand
    Tui 77_H7C0684.jpg
  • Kea, Fiordland, New Zealand
    Kea 22_9111.jpg
  • Yellow-eyed Penguin, Curio Bay, New Zealand
    Yellow-eyed Penguin 30_9407.jpg
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