Shore based birdwatching in Kaikoura

Shore based birdwatching in Kaikoura

Peter Langlands


Kaikoura is a great base for birdwatching, with alpine environments right next to the ocean, the diversity of birds is amongst one of the highest in the New Zealand region. While much of Kaikoura’s bird life is viewed offshore, on trips of a world Class standard ( “Oceanwings” ) there are still some great land-based bird watching opportunities.

Black oystercatchers are only found in New Zealand and can be viewed from the roadside along much of the Kaikoura Coastline. With their bright red-bills and loud pipping calls they are easily noticed.

The Australasian Gannet can be seen flying close inshore throughout the year. These elegant birds dive, from quite some height, with an almighty splash into the water in pursuit of fish. The gannets visit Kaikoura from colonies in the North Island and within the Marlborough Sounds.

Over the summer months vast flocks of Hutton’s Shearwater, a speceis which only breeds in the Kaikoura Region, can be seen wheeling around in vast flocks close inshore, often with the elegant white-fronted terns flying above.

White -fronted terns breed over the summer months, on rocks along the coastline, to the north and south of Kaikoura and are very gracefully birds, which have the alternative name of “sea-swallow”.

Kaikoura Peninsula is a real focal point for the birdwatcher, with a short amount of time, with a wide range of oceanic seabirds, coastal seabirds and wading birds encountered in a very small space.

Armer’s Beach on the north side of the peninsula has a wide range of wading birds which feed in the rock pools. Turnstones can often be seen over the summer months. Remarkably these birds, not much larger than a starling, breed in Siberia and migrate to New Zealand outside their breeding season. A remarkable trans-equatorial migration ! Turnstones are easily spotted with their bright orange legs and have a flute like call. Armer’s Beach is the sort of place that anything could turn up at, being situated on a peninsula, with a wide range of migratory birds calling in for a rest. An exciting spot for the travelling birdwatcher to chill out also.

At the eastern end of Armer’s Beach is the “Seal Colony car park”. By walking up from the car park to the top of the peninsula you get sweeping views of the coastline, and is a good birdwatching spot, overlooking Kean Point, where a wide range of seabirds fly past. Often smaller albatross can be seen gliding in the breeze just a few hundred metres offshore ( Shy Albatross are one of the most commonly sighted speceis here). I have seen over 40 types of seabirds from the top of Kaikoura Peninsula, and like Armer’s Beach, it is a spot where anything could turn up! Large black coloured birds, called a giant petrels are often sighted, as are shy and Salvin’s albatross. At times large flocks of the endemic spotted shags can be seen flying in large “V” formations as the birds fly from their feeding grounds to roosting sites further down the coastline.

So make the most of your time at Kaikoura and visit these locations, all within 15 minutes of the centre of the town. While offshore birdwatching is a rewarding experience, why not balance it out with some land-based birding, and experience the satisfaction of finding some rare and endemic birds, to New Zealand, yourself and at your own pace.