Birds to See in New Zealand in February
60 bird species on our list for New Zealand are recorded regularly in February
Of these, the most often recorded are House Sparrow, Blackbird, Common Starling, European Goldfinch and Chaffinch. New this month: Hudsonian Godwit.
On the move in February
GBIF · FebAt their peak
Red KnotBusiest month of the year · All year
Ruddy TurnstoneBusiest month of the year · All year
Arctic JaegerBusiest month of the year · Oct–May
Pacific Golden-PloverBusiest month of the year · Sep–Apr
Sharp-tailed SandpiperBusiest month of the year · Sep–Apr
WhimbrelBusiest month of the year · All year
Leaving 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 60 birds in February
60 birds
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 4.68% in Feb
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 3.21% in Feb
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.70% in Feb
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 2.33% in Feb
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 2.09% in Feb
Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicenResidentCommon37–43 cmRecorded all year · 1.89% in Feb
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.80% in Feb
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.46% in Feb
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.38% in Feb
Black SwanCygnus atratusResidentCommon110–142 cmRecorded all year · 1.17% in Feb
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.04% in Feb
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaResidentCommon16–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.04% in Feb
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.97% in Feb
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.82% in Feb
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.77% in Feb
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.72% in Feb
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 0.69% in Feb
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaResidentCommon37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.66% in Feb
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaSummer visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.40% in Feb
CootFulica atraResidentUncommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Feb
Little PenguinEudyptula minorResidentUncommon30–40 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in Feb- Red KnotCalidris canutusSummer visitorUncommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in Feb
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresSummer visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Feb
Southern Royal AlbatrossDiomedea epomophoraSummer visitorUncommon115–123 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Feb
White-chinned PetrelProcellaria aequinoctialisSummer visitorUncommon50–58 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.16% in Feb
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentUncommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in Feb
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in Feb
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentUncommon46–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Feb- Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusSummer visitorUncommon41–46 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.14% in Feb
- Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulvaSummer visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.11% in Feb
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoResidentUncommon91–122 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Feb
YellowheadMohoua ochrocephalaSummer visitorUncommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Feb
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentUncommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Feb- Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataSummer visitorUncommon17–22 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.06% in Feb
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentUncommon86–230 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Feb
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentUncommon66–84 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Feb
Little OwlAthene noctuaResidentUncommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Feb- WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorRare40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Feb
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentUncommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Feb
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorRare21–25 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.03% in Feb
Red JunglefowlGallus gallusResidentRare42–75 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Feb
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosSummer visitorRare19–23 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.02% in Feb
Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlusResidentRare15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Feb
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorRare20–27 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Feb
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorRare31–35 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.02% in Feb
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaSummer visitorRare18–23 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.02% in Feb
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentRare53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Feb
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentRare55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Feb
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Nov–Jul · 0.01% in Feb
ChukarAlectoris chukarSummer visitorRare32–38 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.01% in Feb
EmuDromaius novaehollandiaeSummer visitorRare150–190 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.01% in Feb
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaPassage migrantRare36–42 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.01% in Feb
RookCorvus frugilegusWinter visitorRare45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Feb
Southern Rockhopper PenguinEudyptes chrysocomeSummer visitorRare45–58 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.01% in Feb
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaSummer visitorRare40–44 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.01% in Feb
Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinusSummer visitorRare46–51 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.01% in Feb
Wandering AlbatrossDiomedea exulansSummer visitorRare107–135 cmRegularly Jun–Feb · 0.00% in Feb
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusSummer visitorRare48–66 cmRegularly Jun–Mar · 0.00% in Feb
KakapoStrigops habroptilusPassage migrantRare58–64 cmRegularly Nov–Jun · 0.00% in Feb
Laughing KookaburraDacelo novaeguineaeResidentRare41–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Feb
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