Birds of New Zealand

Birds of New Zealand brings viewers into close contact with teasing parrots, impressive albatrosses, sulking kiwis and 40 other native species from New Zealand.

The bird life of New Zealand is absolutely unique. When water masses isolated the area from rest of the world 80 million years ago, there were no mammals and no snakes on the islands. Because of this, birds ruled the air as well as life on the ground.

Living in such isolation from other animals, the birds changed through time.

When humans arrived on the islands, disaster struck. During the millions of years of isolation, the birds had lost their natural fear of predators and therefore they were easy prey for the stoats, cats, rats and dogs that humans brought with them. Today 48 species have become extinct and many others are headed for the same fate.