If it’s not clear why a Government announcement of ‘no new mines on conservation land’ could be almost immediately followed by a story about a ‘mine granted consent on conservation land’, read on. The simple answer is that the proposed Te Kuha opencast coal mine near Westport has just been granted resource consent from the […]
It’s official! The kea has taken our Bird of the Year for 2017. Ellen Rykers investigates how warming temperatures could impact them. While the kea’s antics may be more “court jester” than “monarch”, there’s no denying that kea are formidable kings and queens of the mountains (and our hearts). But their reign as ruler of the […]
Voting for Bird of the Year ends this Monday at 5pm and our amazing campaign managers have fought tooth and nail (or feather and claw) to get their bird ahead. We’ve seen videos, memes, scandals, even smear campaigns. But at the end of it all, it is their stories and passion for birds that could win hearts and […]
The pīwakawaka, commonly known as the fantail, is a familiar sight in gardens across New Zealand. Science communicator Amy Smith puts forward her case for why these chirruping birds deserve a second term as “Bird of the Year”. While other common garden birds spend their time in the tree tops, living their lives high above us, […]
Forest & Bird’s annual Bird of the Year competition is off to a flying start and the kea is out in front with over 2,500 votes. Read how Kimberley Collins went searching for the world’s only alpine parrot in Nelson Lakes National Park, New Zealand. Photos by David Buckton. You need to be sneaky if you want to […]
Hovering on the brink of extinction are the black stilt, also known as kakī, a wading bird endemic to New Zealand’s braided rivers in the South Island. The species became victims of predation and loss of habitat. They are one of the rarest birds in the world, with their numbers reduced to less than 200 […]
Environmentalist, journalist and author, Dave Hansford was recently awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for services to the environment. His recent book, Protecting Paradise, examines the debates surrounding the use of 1080 in New Zealand, and makes the case for urgent intervention to rescue dwindling native wildlife. Laura Keown sat down with him at Forest & Bird’s […]
Forty kākāriki have been released in the Far North this winter, as our Northland Advocate Dean Baigent-Mercer explains. Project Island Song is a shared vision for the restoration of an archipelago rich in native flora and fauna for all to enjoy. The seven wonders of Ipipiri are the pest-free islands located in the eastern Bay […]
Standing as tall as a school ruler and weighing about the same as a bottle of milk is the worlds’ smallest penguin, the Little Penguin or Eudyptula minor, more commonly known as Korora in New Zealand and Fairy penguin in Australia. In New Zealand we recognise four variants – the Northern, Southern, White-flippered and Chatham […]