Birds to See in New Zealand in October
62 bird species on our list for New Zealand are recorded regularly in October
Of these, the most often recorded are Blackbird, Chaffinch, House Sparrow, Common Starling and Song Thrush. New this month: Arctic Jaeger, Little Tern, Long-tailed Jaeger and Northern Pintail and 7 more.
On the move in October
GBIF · OctArriving
At their peak
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 62 birds in October
62 birds
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 5.19% in Oct
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 4.36% in Oct
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 4.05% in Oct
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 3.70% in Oct
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 3.16% in Oct
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 2.49% in Oct
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 2.23% in Oct
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.18% in Oct
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 2.11% in Oct
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.78% in Oct
Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicenResidentCommon37–43 cmRecorded all year · 1.66% in Oct
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaResidentCommon16–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.37% in Oct
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.00% in Oct
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.92% in Oct
Black SwanCygnus atratusResidentCommon110–142 cmRecorded all year · 0.92% in Oct
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.88% in Oct
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 0.79% in Oct
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in Oct
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaResidentCommon37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in Oct
CootFulica atraResidentUncommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Oct
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaSummer visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.20% in Oct
Red KnotCalidris canutusSummer visitorUncommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Oct
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentUncommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Oct
Little PenguinEudyptula minorResidentUncommon30–40 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Oct
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentUncommon46–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Oct
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresSummer visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Oct
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentUncommon86–230 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Oct
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoResidentUncommon91–122 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Oct
Southern Royal AlbatrossDiomedea epomophoraSummer visitorUncommon115–123 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Oct
Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulvaSummer visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.05% in Oct
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentUncommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Oct
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentUncommon66–84 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Oct
White-chinned PetrelProcellaria aequinoctialisSummer visitorUncommon50–58 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.04% in Oct
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentUncommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Oct
Red JunglefowlGallus gallusResidentRare42–75 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Oct
YellowheadMohoua ochrocephalaSummer visitorUncommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Oct
Little OwlAthene noctuaResidentUncommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Oct
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorRare40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Oct
Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataSummer visitorUncommon17–22 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.02% in Oct
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentRare55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Oct
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaSummer visitorRare18–23 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.02% in Oct
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentRare53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Oct
Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlusResidentRare15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Oct
RookCorvus frugilegusWinter visitorRare45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Oct
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusSummer visitorUncommon41–46 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.01% in Oct
ChukarAlectoris chukarSummer visitorRare32–38 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.01% in Oct
Laughing KookaburraDacelo novaeguineaeResidentRare41–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Oct
Northern PintailAnas acutaScarceRare59–76 cmRegularly Oct · 0.01% in Oct
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusSummer visitorRare48–66 cmRegularly Jun–Mar · 0.01% in Oct
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorRare21–25 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.01% in Oct
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaSummer visitorRare40–44 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.00% in Oct
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorRare44–51 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.00% in Oct
EmuDromaius novaehollandiaeSummer visitorRare150–190 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.00% in Oct
Long-tailed JaegerStercorarius longicaudusPassage migrantRare48–58 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.00% in Oct
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorRare20–27 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Oct
Golden PheasantChrysolophus pictusPassage migrantRare90–105 cmRegularly May–Nov · 0.00% in Oct
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriSummer visitorRare38–42 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.00% in Oct
Wandering AlbatrossDiomedea exulansSummer visitorRare107–135 cmRegularly Jun–Feb · 0.00% in Oct
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaPassage migrantRare36–42 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.00% in Oct
Wood DuckAix sponsaPassage migrantRare47–54 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.00% in Oct
Swan GooseAnser cygnoidesWinter visitorRare81–94 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.00% in Oct
Rainbow LorikeetTrichoglossus moluccanusPassage migrantRare25–30 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.00% in Oct
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