Birds to See in New Zealand in December
62 bird species on our list for New Zealand are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Blackbird, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Common Starling and Song Thrush.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecAt 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 62 birds in December
62 birds
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 4.95% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 4.25% in Dec
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 4.14% in Dec
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 3.29% in Dec
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.85% in Dec
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 2.31% in Dec
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 2.01% in Dec
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 1.69% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.46% in Dec
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.41% in Dec
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaResidentCommon16–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.41% in Dec
Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicenResidentCommon37–43 cmRecorded all year · 1.25% in Dec
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 1.13% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.83% in Dec
Black SwanCygnus atratusResidentCommon110–142 cmRecorded all year · 0.80% in Dec
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in Dec
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaSummer visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.59% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in Dec
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.54% in Dec
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaResidentCommon37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in Dec
Southern Royal AlbatrossDiomedea epomophoraSummer visitorUncommon115–123 cmRecorded all year · 0.43% in Dec
White-chinned PetrelProcellaria aequinoctialisSummer visitorUncommon50–58 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.30% in Dec
CootFulica atraResidentUncommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Dec
Little PenguinEudyptula minorResidentUncommon30–40 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Dec
Red KnotCalidris canutusSummer visitorUncommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Dec
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentUncommon46–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Dec
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresSummer visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Dec
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentUncommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Dec
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusSummer visitorUncommon41–46 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.10% in Dec
YellowheadMohoua ochrocephalaSummer visitorUncommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Dec
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentUncommon86–230 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Dec
Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulvaSummer visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.06% in Dec
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoResidentUncommon91–122 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec
Little OwlAthene noctuaResidentUncommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec
Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataSummer visitorUncommon17–22 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.04% in Dec
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentUncommon66–84 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec
Southern Rockhopper PenguinEudyptes chrysocomeSummer visitorRare45–58 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.03% in Dec
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentUncommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Dec
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentUncommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Dec
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorRare21–25 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.03% in Dec
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorRare40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Dec
Red JunglefowlGallus gallusResidentRare42–75 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Dec
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosSummer visitorRare19–23 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.01% in Dec
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentRare53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlusResidentRare15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentRare55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusSummer visitorRare48–66 cmRegularly Jun–Mar · 0.01% in Dec
Laughing KookaburraDacelo novaeguineaeResidentRare41–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorRare20–27 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
ChukarAlectoris chukarSummer visitorRare32–38 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.01% in Dec
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaSummer visitorRare18–23 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.01% in Dec
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorRare31–35 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.00% in Dec
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaSummer visitorRare40–44 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.00% in Dec
RookCorvus frugilegusWinter visitorRare45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Dec
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaPassage migrantRare36–42 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.00% in Dec
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Nov–Jul · 0.00% in Dec
Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinusSummer visitorRare46–51 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.00% in Dec
EmuDromaius novaehollandiaeSummer visitorRare150–190 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.00% in Dec
Wandering AlbatrossDiomedea exulansSummer visitorRare107–135 cmRegularly Jun–Feb · 0.00% in Dec
Rainbow LorikeetTrichoglossus moluccanusPassage migrantRare25–30 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.00% in Dec
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriSummer visitorRare38–42 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.00% in Dec
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaPassage migrantRare33–39 cmRegularly Nov–Dec · 0.00% in Dec
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