Pests, predators and habitat destruction

Pests

Possums

Possums were introduced to New Zealand from Australia in around 1837. Since then the possum population has increased to about 30 million in New Zealand alone.

Rats

Rats are one of the most common pests and one of the most destructive. They can be found pretty much anywhere.

Hedgehogs

They may be cute, but these little creatures have been known to eat eggs and chicks from native bird nests.

Wasps

Wasps compete fiercely with our birds for food and both them and our birds pollinate our native plants. Believe it or not wasps sometimes can even eat a whole chick. They also sting humans and some people can react.

Weasels

Weasels were introduced to New Zealand in the 1890s. These pests are less common then possums but still are and significant threat to native bird life, by eating eggs and chicks.

Mice

Mice a like a smaller version of rats. They eat the birds eggs and compete for the same food as our birds.

Dogs

Dogs can't climb trees and attack the birds up there, but dogs often get excited and kill or injure ground birds like Kiwi. Also, dogs stress our birds out by running towards them and barking.

Magpies

Magpies are pests not only people but to birds. These black and white birds, squawk and swoop at other birds, they eat chicks and eggs making them dangerous to birds in nests and on land.

Ferrets

Ferrets were introduced from Europe to New Zealand in 1880. In the 1980s 17 ferret farms were set free after being closed in a downturn in the markets, making a huge contribution of the ferret population in New Zealand.

Stoats

Stoats are undoubtedly one of the worst pests in our country. Introduced in the 1880s to control rabbits, they soon became a massive threat to chicks and eggs.

Cats

Even domestic cats are a threat to our bird life. Everyone knows that cats eat mice and rats but they also eat our native birds and chicks.

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