Overview
Te Papa is believed to be the only museum that holds the eggs of eleven endemic New Zealand bird species and subspecies: huia, Chatham Island taiko (Magenta petrel), Campbell Island teal, Campbell Island shag, Bounty Island shag, Auckland Island rail, Auckland Island snipe, Campbell Island snipe, Reischek's parakeet, Codfish Island fernbird, and Auckland Island pipit.
In addition to huia, other extinct birds represented in the Te Papa egg collection include New Zealand quail, laughing owl, bush wren, South Island kōkako, and Chatham Island bellbird.
Te Papa also holds the only known eggs of the Vanuatu petrel.