Rarities

This page kept a log of some of the rarities that turned up here in New Zealand, most of which we have been and seen, during the early days of Wrybill Birding Tours, NZ.  However, with the advent of BirdingNZ.net, much of this has become redundant, and so for information and photos of specific rarities you are probably better to search there.  However, below is a useful resource of some of the rarities that turned up in the early days, with information and images.

Some of the links below will take you to our Trip Reports section, others will open a page dedicated to that rarity. All pages contain photos of the rarity, if you are interested in purchasing or using these photos for any purposes (personal records, web pages, rare bird reports, etc.), then please contact Brent first. Check the Trip Reports section for other rarities which were not photographed and therefore do not appear in the log below.

Rarities log…

SpeciesLocation seenDate seen
Arctic ternAshley Rivermouth, Canterbury16/05/09
Common tern and white-winged black ternUnahi, near Kaitaia, Far North07/04/09
Black (white-capped) noddyCape Maria van Diemen04/04/09
Lesser frigatebird and sooty ternHauraki Gulf, Auckland27/02/09
Straw-necked ibisnear Tarras, Central Otago23/02/09
White-throated needletailMt Hobson, Great Barrier Island22/01/09
Great shearwaterOff Dunedin, Otago13/10/08
White-headed petrelOff Kaikoura01/06/08
White-winged black ternUnahi, near Kaitaia, Far North21/04/08
Barn owlsKaitaia, Far North05/04/08 - 03/04/09...
Hudsonian godwitManawatu Estuary26/03/08
Common ternManawatu Estuary22/03/08
Grey ploverManawatu Estuary14/02/08
Glossy ibis & common greenshankUnahi, near Kaitaia, Far North30/03/07
Plumed whistling ducksWoodville21/02/07
Erect-crested penguinKaikoura Peninsula16/02/07
Australian wood duckHokitika sewage ponds, West Coast24/01/07
Greater sand ploverManawatu Estuary20/01/07
Latham's (Japanese) snipeWhangamarino Wetlands16/01/07
Channel-billed cuckooMotiti Island, Bay of Plenty08/01/07
Common ternKariotahi Beach, Auckland08/12/06
Intermediate egretWaiatarua Wetland, Auckland city10/11/06
White-throated needletailOban, Stewart Island09/11/06
Arctic tern (x2)Bluff, Southland09/11/06
Arctic ternWhatipu Beach, Auckland26/09/06
Nankeen kestrelFar North29/07/06
Yellow-nosed albatrossoff Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula25/07/06
Red-necked phalaropeLake Grassmere, Marlborough21/07/06
Little egretMuddy Creek, Hawkes Bay16/07/06 (long-staying bird)
DunlinSeagrove, Manukau Harbour, Auckland18/04/06 - 21/04/06
RuffMiranda, Firth of Thames & Maketu, BOP20/11/05 - 15/01/06
HardheadBromley Oxidation Ponds, Christchurch18/12/05
Intermediate egretMuddy creek and Ngaruroro estuary, HB20/11/05
Southern (Antarctic) fulmarKaikoura, Canterbury28/08/05
Black kiteRenwick, Marlborough26/08/05 - 28/08/05
Latham's (Japanese) snipeWaipara Rivermouth, Canterbury27/02/05 and 03/04/05
King penguinBarrytown, West Coast, South Island26/01/05-04/02/05
Grey ploverMaketu Estuary, Bay of Plenty28/11/04
Australian reed warblerSt Anne's Lagoon, Cheviot, Canterbury12-28/11/04
Intermediate egretLawrence, Otagoc. 20/06/04
Grey phalaropeTolaga Bay pelagic02/05/04
Great knot and Asiatic whimbrelManawatu Estuary11-15/11/03
Little curlewManukau Harbour, Auckland01/11/03
Chatham albatrossGisborne Pelagic27/07/03
Thin-billed prionGisborne Pelagic27/07/03
Grey phalaropeNinety Mile Beach06/07/03
Brown tealWaikanae Estuary01/05/03
South Polar skuaTolaga Bay27/04/03
Long-tailed skuaTolaga Bay23/02/03
SanderlingPorangahau Estuary21/02/03
Australasian little grebeLake Rotuehu, near Rotorua26/01/03
New Zealand storm-petrel..... read on!Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula25/01/03
Broad-billed sandpiperKaraka, Auckland24/01/03
Common ternManawatu Estuary20/01/03
Red-necked phalaropeLake Grassmere, Marlborough02/12/02 & 13/01/03
Chinstrap penguinKaikoura, Canterbury29/11/02
Chestnut tealManawatu Estuary11/05/02
Black kiteMercer, south of Auckland09/05/02