Common Birds in New Zealand
Our list for New Zealand has 20 common birds recorded regularly there: 19 residents and 1 summer visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in New Zealand in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 20, most common first
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year
Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicenResidentCommon37–43 cmRecorded all year
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaResidentCommon16–17 cmRecorded all year
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year
Black SwanCygnus atratusResidentCommon110–142 cmRecorded all year
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaResidentCommon37–41 cmRecorded all year
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaSummer visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Sep–May
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- European Goldfinch 12–13 cm
- Common Redpoll 12–14 cm
- Dunnock 14–15 cm
- Chaffinch 14–16 cm
- Greenfinch 15–16 cm
- House Sparrow 14–17 cm
- Yellowhammer 16–17 cm
- Eurasian Skylark 16–18 cm
- Song Thrush 20–23 cm
- Common Starling 21–23 cm
- Blackbird 24–25 cm
- Rock Dove 29–37 cm
- Bar-tailed Godwit 37–41 cm
- Australian Magpie 37–43 cm
- Sooty Shearwater 40–51 cm
- Mallard 50–65 cm
- Common Pheasant 50–90 cm
- Great Cormorant 80–100 cm
- Canada Goose 76–110 cm
- Black Swan 110–142 cm
Body length, bill to tail. Rare birds in grey.
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