What's On at Zealandia

Vibrant, unique manu/bird song greets me every time I step out my front door and is a hallmark of home. Whenever I am out of Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington, it is one of the things I miss the most. Freya Bacon-Bootham shares her favourite soundtrack and the things birdsong can tell us about biodiversity.

Aotearoa is known for having a large diversity of manu/birds; however, it is also the land of the mokomoko/lizards. At Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne, at there are two species of geckos and another three possibly present. Learn a bit more about the gecko species found in the sanctuary in this blog. 

Come meet the toitoi! We have converted the Boat Shed into Zealandia’s very own toitoi quarantine centre. This gives us the rare chance to share these normally secretive fish.

At Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne we want to fix entire ecosystems, not just bring individual species back. No species or ecosystem exists in isolation, they are connected, the health of one impacting others.

Kids need to expend some energy these school holidays? We’ve got you covered! With heaps of space to explore and things to see, come along to Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne and get out in nature. We’ve also got some fun activities planned to help keep the kids busy - read on to find out more!

Patterns and frequency of moult vary depending on species and age: some manu may have one or several moults throughout the year, and these may be partial or full body moults.

Kūkūwai/wetlands are crucial ecosystems. They help with flooding, improve water quality, and provide a home for many plants and animals. Unfortunately, over 90% of them have been drained in Aotearoa, and the remaining ones are still under threat.

While the other side of the world hunkers down for winter, and carols about snowmen and freezing temperatures ring out in shops, having Christmas in summertime can feel a bit out of place. But there are many things that make Aotearoa feel festive!   

This summer, we're encouraging you to explore further into the sanctuary and take notice of things you may not normally see, hear or feel.

Whether you’ve visited 100 times or never, there’s always something new to notice if you slow down and take it all in.
 

Pīpīwharauroa are one of our two forest bird species that migrate outside New Zealand. They spend the winter 4,600km further north, mainly in the Solomon Islands. As well as their major annual migrations, the other distinctive feature is that they are brood parasites – they lay their eggs in the nests of riroriro/grey warbler and let those birds raise their young!