Te Papa launches New Zealand Birds Online

31 May 2013

Te Papa launches New Zealand Birds Online: a digital encyclopaedia of New Zealand birds

Te Papa is launching the website New Zealand Birds Online www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz on Sunday.

The one-stop shop of information has more than 6500 photos and information about 457 different species. This includes all of New Zealand’s fossil and extinct bird species, and all the stragglers that have reached here from other countries, as well as all of the native and introduced bird species that breed in or migrate to New Zealand.

Te Papa’s Curator Terrestrial Vertebrates, Dr Colin Miskelly says it’s the most comprehensive free-to-view online record of birds that he’s aware of.

“We’ve worked in partnership with the Ornithological Society of New Zealand and the Department of Conservation for the past 3 years. Information has come from more than a hundred authors and 250 photographers.

“You can search by common, scientific or Maori name and if you don’t know the name of the bird, you can search by what the bird looks like, or location. We’ve worked hard to make the site as easy as possible to use and to cover all sorts of enquiries.”

The site includes more than a thousand sound files showcasing the calls of New Zealand birds.

Te Papa Chief Executive Michael Houlihan says this is a great project for the Museum and the wider community.

“Making our collections and research available online in this way is a priority for Te Papa,” he says. “Access to the website is free and it will be a valuable resource for students around the country or anyone interested in the diverse array of birds in New Zealand.”

The website will be launched at the New Zealand Bird Conference at the Otago Museum in Dunedin on Sunday at 4.30pm.
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