Birds to See in New Zealand in April
57 bird species on our list for New Zealand are recorded regularly in April
Of these, the most often recorded are Blackbird, House Sparrow, Common Starling, Chaffinch and European Goldfinch. New this month: Northern Shoveler.
On the move in April
GBIF · AprAt their peak
From New Zealand’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 57 birds in April
57 birds
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 4.98% in Apr
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 4.69% in Apr
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 4.03% in Apr
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 3.09% in Apr
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 2.79% in Apr
Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicenResidentCommon37–43 cmRecorded all year · 2.58% in Apr
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.14% in Apr
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.69% in Apr
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.40% in Apr
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.25% in Apr
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.15% in Apr
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 1.11% in Apr
Black SwanCygnus atratusResidentCommon110–142 cmRecorded all year · 0.99% in Apr
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaResidentCommon16–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.97% in Apr
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.66% in Apr
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.66% in Apr
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 0.57% in Apr
CootFulica atraResidentUncommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Apr
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaResidentCommon37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in Apr
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in Apr
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaSummer visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.21% in Apr
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentUncommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Apr
Little PenguinEudyptula minorResidentUncommon30–40 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Apr
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoResidentUncommon91–122 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Apr
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentUncommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Apr
Southern Royal AlbatrossDiomedea epomophoraSummer visitorUncommon115–123 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Apr
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentUncommon46–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Apr
White-chinned PetrelProcellaria aequinoctialisSummer visitorUncommon50–58 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.08% in Apr
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusSummer visitorUncommon41–46 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.07% in Apr
Little OwlAthene noctuaResidentUncommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Apr
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentUncommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Apr
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentUncommon66–84 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Apr
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentUncommon86–230 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Apr
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresSummer visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Apr
Red KnotCalidris canutusSummer visitorUncommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Apr
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentRare55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Apr
RookCorvus frugilegusWinter visitorRare45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Apr
Red JunglefowlGallus gallusResidentRare42–75 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Apr
YellowheadMohoua ochrocephalaSummer visitorUncommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Apr
Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulvaSummer visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.02% in Apr
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorRare21–25 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.01% in Apr
Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlusResidentRare15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Apr
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorRare44–51 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.01% in Apr
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorRare20–27 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Apr
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentRare53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Apr
Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataSummer visitorUncommon17–22 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.01% in Apr
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorRare40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Apr
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Nov–Jul · 0.01% in Apr
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorRare31–35 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.01% in Apr
ChukarAlectoris chukarSummer visitorRare32–38 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.00% in Apr
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaSummer visitorRare40–44 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.00% in Apr
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaPassage migrantRare36–42 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.00% in Apr
Laughing KookaburraDacelo novaeguineaeResidentRare41–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Apr
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosSummer visitorRare19–23 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.00% in Apr
EmuDromaius novaehollandiaeSummer visitorRare150–190 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.00% in Apr
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaSummer visitorRare18–23 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.00% in Apr
Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinusSummer visitorRare46–51 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.00% in Apr
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made