Fauna

Hutton’s shearwater/titi

The Hutton’s shearwater is a nationally endangered species and the only New Zealand seabird that nests in a sub-alpine environment. They breed only in two naturally occurring colonies in the Kaikoura Mountains although a collaborative effort between conservation groups and local iwi has created a third area, protected by a predator-proof fence.

Canterbury mudfish/kowaro

The Canterbury mudfish (Neochanna burrowsius) is so-called because they have been found in holes in the mud that resemble burrows.The “burrowsius” part of their name however comes from the Mr Burrows who was the first of pakeha descent to identify the species. They are acutely threatened, the rarest of five mudfish species found only in New Zealand. Their natural habitat is in spring-fed lowland streams, although they can also be found in isolated water races and wetland areas where there is good water quality and predators such as trout and eels are absent.

Black stilt/kakī

Black stilt are the world’s rarest wading bird, now found only in the braided rivers and wetlands of the Mackenzie country. At one point the population had declined to just over 20 individuals by 1981, but a captive management programme carried out by the Department of Conservation has resulted in a modest but significant recovery.

Wrybill/ngutuparore

The wrybill plover (Anarhynchus frontalis ) is endemic to New Zealand and breeds in the dry beds of the braided rivers of Canterbury. It is the only bird in the world with a bill that is bent to one side (always to the bird’s right). The bill is thought to be an adaptation for foraging under stones or for use in a “scything” motion for to harvest invertebrates on mudflats.

White-flippered penguin/kororā

The white-flippered penguin (Eudyptula minor albosignata), a separate sub-species to the blue penguin is listed as internationally endangered, with an estimated 2112 breeding pairs remaining. With the exception of stronghold populations at Flea Bay on Banks Peninsula and on Motunau Island in North Canterbury, it is generally only found on inaccessible headlands.

Hector’s dolphin/upokohue

Hector's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori) are found only in the inshore waters of New Zealand. The southern sub-species can be found in small numbers concentrated in a marine mammal conservation area off the coast of Banks Peninsula. They are among the world's smallest dolphins and also among the rarest.

The blue duck (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos)

is a threatened species of waterfowl found only in New Zealand and classified as nationally endangered. It has no close relative anywhere in the world. There are five known populations, three of which are on the South Island and it is estimated that there are just 2500 of these unique birds left.

Orange-fronted parakeet/kākāriki’

Classified as 'nationally critical', the orange-fronted parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi) is the rarest parakeet in New Zealand. Once found throughout the South Island, there are now only 4 known populations all within a 30 km radius in upland valley beech forests in Arthur's Pass National Park and Lake Sumner Forest Park. There are thought to be just 100-200 birds left in the wild.

Jewelled gecko

Jewelled geckos (Naultinus gemmeus) are a species of endemic gecko are most significantly found on Banks Peninsula near Christchurch and the Otago Peninsula near Dunedin. Their blotched patterning and striking coloration, superb camouflage in their natural environment, also makes them a target for illegal collectors.

Katipo

Katipo (Latrodectus katipo) is Māori for night stinger’. They are rare inhabitants of the coastal sand dunes around Kaitorete Spit, where they prey mostly on insects to be found in pīngao and scrub vegetation. Katipo are related to the Australian redback and to black widow spiders, so their bites can be serious or even fatal. However, bites are a rare occurrence because these spiders are both rarer and more reclusive than their venomous relatives.

Flora & Fauna

Castle-Hill forget-me-not

The limestone bluffs and karst landscapes of North Canterbury are home to the Castle Hill forget-me-not (Myosotis colensoi). These delicate native plants are threatened by habitat loss, invasive plant pests and recreationalists such as the climbers and trampers that frequent this unique area.

Golden sand sedge/ pīngao

Pīngao (Desmoschoenus spiralis) is a native sand-binding sedge only found in four significant populations in New Zealand, one of which is on Kaitorete Spit. It helps in the formation of sand dunes, creating a stable environment suitable for other coastal species of native plants as well as fauna such as geckos and katipo. Pīngao is a tāonga; one of four main native fibres traditionally used by iwi for weaving.

Shrubby tororaro/mingimingi (Muehlenbeckia astonii)

One of the three known populations of this plant can be found in a protected area on Kaitorete Spit. It produces small sugary fruits that are an important food source for a number of endemic insects, birds and lizards. Kaitorete Spit hosts a significant stronghold population of native skinks and geckos.

Hector’s tree daisy

Hector’s tree daisy (Olearia hectorii) is nationally vulnerable and is only found in the east of the South Island and in small populations in Canterbury, primarily as a streamside species occurring where mountain and hill-country streams meet the plains. It relies on flooding, sedimentation and erosion to clear existing vegetation to allow site suitable for colonisation although this kind of natural regeneration rarely occurs in Canterbury.