The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Topic:

Birds

North Island Brown Kiwi, Apteryx mantelli
North Island Brown Kiwi, Apteryx mantelli, collected no data, New Zealand. Acquisition history unknown. Te Papa

Birds are an important part of New Zealand's nationhood. We are the only nation where the people are colloquially known by a bird name - 'Kiwi'.

Birds have also been a prominent part of Te Papa's history, with two famous ornithologists - Dr W.R.B. Oliver and Sir Robert Falla - having served as Directors of the Dominion Museum.

 

Is part of topic Natural Environment at Te Papa
Bird collection

Bird collection

Te Papa holds approximately 17,000 bird skins, 4750 recent skeletons and 2800 eggs, including the largest collection of New Zealand bird skins held by any museum. more>

Bird taxa

Bird taxa

Birds were the dominant land vertebrates in New Zealand before human contact. The first Polynesian explorers encountered a world quite different to the New Zealand we know, populated by many large, flightless species (including moa), as well as a wide range of waterfowl, rails, tiny wrens and other birds. more>

Bird collectors

While many early specimens were shot or otherwise collected from the wild, specimens added to the collection now are those found dead of natural causes, or accidentally killed or injured. more>

Bird research

Bird research

Bird research at Te Papa is under taken by the Curator Terrestrial Vertebrates, Colin Miskelly, and the Curator Fossil Vertebrates, Alan Tennyson. more>

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