Rare Birds in New Zealand
Our list for New Zealand has 33 rare birds recorded regularly there: 5 residents, 15 summer visitors, 3 winter visitors, 7 passage migrants and 3 scarce visitors
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 33, most common first
Red JunglefowlGallus gallusResidentRare42–75 cmRecorded all year
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorRare40–46 cmRecorded all year
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentRare55–65 cmRecorded all year
RookCorvus frugilegusWinter visitorRare45–47 cmRecorded all year
Southern Rockhopper PenguinEudyptes chrysocomeSummer visitorRare45–58 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorRare21–25 cmRegularly Oct–Jun
Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlusResidentRare15–17 cmRecorded all year
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosSummer visitorRare19–23 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusSummer visitorRare48–66 cmRegularly Jun–Mar
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorRare20–27 cmRecorded all year
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorRare31–35 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaSummer visitorRare18–23 cmRegularly Aug–May
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentRare53–63 cmRecorded all year
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorRare44–51 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Nov–Jul
Laughing KookaburraDacelo novaeguineaeResidentRare41–47 cmRecorded all year
ChukarAlectoris chukarSummer visitorRare32–38 cmRegularly Jul–May
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaPassage migrantRare36–42 cmRegularly Sep–Jun
Long-tailed JaegerStercorarius longicaudusPassage migrantRare48–58 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Northern PintailAnas acutaScarceRare59–76 cmRegularly Oct
EmuDromaius novaehollandiaeSummer visitorRare150–190 cmRegularly Oct–Jun
Wandering AlbatrossDiomedea exulansSummer visitorRare107–135 cmRegularly Jun–Feb
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriSummer visitorRare38–42 cmRegularly May–Jan
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