Birds to See in New Zealand in August
46 bird species on our list for New Zealand are recorded regularly in August
Of these, the most often recorded are Blackbird, House Sparrow, Common Starling, Chaffinch and Song Thrush. New this month: Curlew Sandpiper and Rainbow Lorikeet.
On the move in August
GBIF · AugLeaving soon
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 46 birds in August
46 birds
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 5.74% in Aug
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 4.89% in Aug
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 4.12% in Aug
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 3.91% in Aug
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 3.68% in Aug
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.71% in Aug
Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicenResidentCommon37–43 cmRecorded all year · 2.31% in Aug
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 2.12% in Aug
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 1.87% in Aug
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 1.71% in Aug
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.40% in Aug
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaResidentCommon16–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.31% in Aug
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.30% in Aug
Black SwanCygnus atratusResidentCommon110–142 cmRecorded all year · 0.95% in Aug
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 0.62% in Aug
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in Aug
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.47% in Aug
CootFulica atraResidentUncommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in Aug
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.32% in Aug
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentUncommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Aug
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaResidentCommon37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Aug
Southern Royal AlbatrossDiomedea epomophoraSummer visitorUncommon115–123 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Aug
Little PenguinEudyptula minorResidentUncommon30–40 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Aug
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentUncommon46–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Aug
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentUncommon66–84 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Aug
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoResidentUncommon91–122 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Aug
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentUncommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Aug
Little OwlAthene noctuaResidentUncommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Aug
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentUncommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Aug
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentUncommon86–230 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Aug
Red JunglefowlGallus gallusResidentRare42–75 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Aug
Red KnotCalidris canutusSummer visitorUncommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Aug
Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlusResidentRare15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Aug
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresSummer visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Aug
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentRare55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Aug
YellowheadMohoua ochrocephalaSummer visitorUncommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Aug
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentRare53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Aug
RookCorvus frugilegusWinter visitorRare45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Aug
Laughing KookaburraDacelo novaeguineaeResidentRare41–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Aug
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorRare20–27 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Aug
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorRare44–51 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.00% in Aug
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaSummer visitorRare18–23 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.00% in Aug
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorRare40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Aug
ChukarAlectoris chukarSummer visitorRare32–38 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.00% in Aug
Swan GooseAnser cygnoidesWinter visitorRare81–94 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.00% in Aug
Rainbow LorikeetTrichoglossus moluccanusPassage migrantRare25–30 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.00% in Aug
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