What's On at Zealandia


 

Last chance for Dawn Walks
ZEALANDIA Ecosanctuary

Last chance for Dawn Walks

Dawn at Zealandia is a very special time of day, which you can experience through a Dawn Walk. These walks include a 3-hour guided tour in the valley before opening hours, a light snack during and breakfast at the end of the tour. We also have a new breakfast menu, with a selection of breakfast dishes and a hot drink included in the ticket price.

Birds are thought to sing at dawn for territory defence and to attract a mate. In addition, it may be a good time to sing as it’s often still too dark for birds to do other activities, like foraging.

While on your tour, you may notice that different species sing at different times during the dawn chorus. This is a pattern that has been found in other parts of the world; in Aotearoa, one study found that tūī typically start first, followed by toutouwai/North Island robin, korimako/bellbird, and later pōpokotea/whitehead. This partitioning of song time may allow birds to avoid their song getting masked by another species that sings at a similar frequency. For example, tūī song covers a wide range of frequencies which overlaps with song from most other species; it may therefore benefit tūī to start a bit earlier and avoid singing at the same time as other birds.

Book your tickets now!

Photo credit: Melissa FT

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