A South Island tomtit appears on the Gillespie Pass. Photo: Matthew Cattin

From peaks to beaks

January/February 2026

Read more from

January/February 2026

For the last year, a longtime tramper has put aside his topo maps and picked up his zoom lens to dive headfirst into the world of birding.

Birding is the art of noticing. It steals your eyes from the trail, kinks your neck and stubs your toes on rocks and roots. It trains your ears to anticipate the call of a pīpīwharauroa shining cuckoo announcing spring’s arrival, and fires your adrenalin when a tūī’s territorial trill exposes a roosting ruru.  I’ve always […]
January/February 2026

Read more from

January/February 2026

Related Topics

Similar Articles

The kōkako is our forest diva ‘bird of paradise’

An ethical guide to visiting the Muriwai gannet colony

Spotted shag

Join Wilderness. You'll see more, do more and live more.

Already a subscriber?  to keep reading. Or…

34 years of inspiring New Zealanders to explore the outdoors. Don’t miss out — subscribe today.

Your subscriber-only benefits:

All this for as little as $6.75/month.

1

free articles left this month.

Already a subscriber? Login Now