Birds

Latest news

Tracking our ocean wanderers

Feature story
28 July 2020
Albatrosses may be masters of the skies, but they are surprisingly vulnerable on the water. Campbell Gardiner talks to two scientists working to keep these magnificent seabirds airborne.

Emperor penguin foraging behaviour revealed

Media Release
20 April 2018
An unavoidable delay in a research ship’s voyage to Antarctica resulted in some surprising and important findings about the behaviour of emperor penguins.

Scientists set to spy on rockhopper penguins

12 June 2012

Scientists are poised to solve a mystery. Where do rockhopper penguins breeding in New Zealand's sub-Antarctic go during the winter? Right now, nobody knows.

NIWA & The University of Auckland - Migration patterns linked to genetic differences in New Zealand seabirds

1 June 2011

Ground-breaking research by NIWA and The University of Auckland, investigating the annual movements of New Zealand seabirds migrating within the Pacific Ocean, has revealed that populations are genetically distinct, and have been for centuries as a result of their differing migration behavior.

 

Latest videos

The Decline of Subantarctic Wildlife

The Decline of Subantarctic Wildlife

Populations of rockhopper penguins, elephant seals, and grey-headed albatrosses in the subantarctic have declined quite markedly in recent decades.

Seabird Diversity in the Southern Ocean

Seabird Diversity in the Southern Ocean

The New Zealand archipelago, particularly its subantarctic islands, is a global seabird hotspot. It's home to 25 per cent of the world's breeding seabird populations and a very diverse array of penguin, albatross, petrel and shearwater species.

 

Tracking our ocean wanderers

Feature story
28 July 2020
Albatrosses may be masters of the skies, but they are surprisingly vulnerable on the water. Campbell Gardiner talks to two scientists working to keep these magnificent seabirds airborne.

Emperor penguin foraging behaviour revealed

Media Release
20 April 2018
An unavoidable delay in a research ship’s voyage to Antarctica resulted in some surprising and important findings about the behaviour of emperor penguins.

Scientists set to spy on rockhopper penguins

12 June 2012

Scientists are poised to solve a mystery. Where do rockhopper penguins breeding in New Zealand's sub-Antarctic go during the winter? Right now, nobody knows.

Fifth International Albatross and Petrel Conference

13 August 2012 to 17 August 2012

NIWA is sponsoring the fifth International Albatross and Petrel conference (IAPC 5).

Following previous conferences in Hobart, Australia (1995), Hawaii, USA (2000), Montevideo, Uruguay (2004) and Cape Town, South Africa (2008), IAPC5 will be held in Wellington, New Zealand in 2012. 

The conference will cover all aspects of albatross and petrel biology, ecology, distributions and tracking, taxonomy and human interactions.  

The Decline of Subantarctic Wildlife

The Decline of Subantarctic Wildlife

Populations of rockhopper penguins, elephant seals, and grey-headed albatrosses in the subantarctic have declined quite markedly in recent decades.

Seabird Diversity in the Southern Ocean

Seabird Diversity in the Southern Ocean

The New Zealand archipelago, particularly its subantarctic islands, is a global seabird hotspot. It's home to 25 per cent of the world's breeding seabird populations and a very diverse array of penguin, albatross, petrel and shearwater species.

NIWA & The University of Auckland - Migration patterns linked to genetic differences in New Zealand seabirds

1 June 2011

Ground-breaking research by NIWA and The University of Auckland, investigating the annual movements of New Zealand seabirds migrating within the Pacific Ocean, has revealed that populations are genetically distinct, and have been for centuries as a result of their differing migration behavior.

Upgraded research vessel

12 December 2010

The return of the upgraded RV Tangaroa represents a huge advancement for New Zealand science and exploration

NIWA today welcomed home RV Tangaroa, New Zealand’s only deepwater research vessel, after a $20 million dollar upgrade to enhance its ocean science and survey capabilities.

Summer Series 11: The little blue penguin – our very own ‘Happy Feet’

29 April 2010

They are tiny, burrow under the boards of your seaside bach, and make a heck of a lot of noise in the dead of night. They think night-time is the right time for … calling loudly in a raspy voice!

Muttonbirds pursue endless summer across Pacific

8 August 2006

It's an epic journey for a small bird. A team of scientists from New Zealand, the US, and France has discovered that sooty shearwaters (known to Kiwis as muttonbirds or titi) make a 64 000 km round trip each year, chasing summer across the Pacific.

 

All staff working on this subject

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Dr Simon Hoyle

Fisheries Modeller
Email Dr Simon Hoyle

Dr Alvin Setiawan

Aquaculture Scientist
Email Dr Alvin Setiawan
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Dr Amy Whitehead

Freshwater Ecologist
Email Dr Amy Whitehead
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