Nature & Wildlife
Family Friendly

Predator free since 2014, Rotoroa Island is now home to a number of New Zealand native birds.

We're often asked what you might see on Rotoroa. Here are some of the birds you’ll want to keep an eye out for as you explore the island.

Birds you're likely to see
Weka
Tui
Fantail (piwakawaka)
Saddleback (Tīeke)
Takahē
Pukeko
Variable Oystercatcher (Tōrea)
Dotterel (Tūturiwhatu)

Tīeke (North Island Saddleback)

Takahē

New Zealand dotterel | Tūturiwhatu

Birds you'll possibly see
Whitehead (Pōpokotea )
Grey Faced petrel
White Fronted Terns
Kererū (Wood Pigeon)
Waxeye
Caspian tern

Birds you have a rare chance of seeing (in the right conditions and season)
Kiwi (join us when we welcome new kiwi chicks to our sanctuary)
Australasian Gannet (Tākapu)
Kaka
Brown teal (Pāteke)

Some tips
We encourage you to pick one of our (free) ecosystem guides on the island to help you identify species, grouped by ecosystem.
Join our guided nature walks, the best chance to spot the island's wildlife
Check out NZ BIrds Online, a great resource for identifying birds

Keen to record what you've seen?
Join a community of naturewatchers on iNaturalistNZ