Tongariro National Park

🇳🇿 New Zealand

🐦 Fantails Flit Across Volcanic Tussock
🌍 #294 Global · 2.5 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #25 in Oceania #67 in Temperate Forest
New Zealand, New Zealand 171 spp. recorded

Tongariro National Park is a protected area on New Zealand’s North Island, defined by towering active volcanoes, barren alpine plateaus, and dense temperate forests. This stark contrast between volcanic rock and lush native bush sets the region apart from coastal and lowland reserves.

-39.182° S   175.629° E

Wildlife

SIGHTING PROBABILITY Share of citizen-science records from the park that report this species
<5%
Rare5–20%
With luck20–40%
Possible40–70%
Likely>70%
Very likely
ACTIVITY PATTERN
☀️ Diurnal 🌙 Nocturnal 🌅 Crepuscular ☀️🌙 Day & Night

⭐ Iconic Species

Blue Duck ★
EN Endemic

Blue Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos

50–60% · Likely
New Zealand Kaka ★
VU Endemic

New Zealand Kaka

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nestor meridionalis

10–20% · With luck
Tūī ★
LC Endemic

Tūī

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae

70–80% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

New Zealand Fantail
LC Endemic

New Zealand Fantail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rhipidura fuliginosa

80–90% · Very likely
Chaffinch
LC

Chaffinch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Fringilla coelebs

80–90% · Very likely
Silvereye
LC Endemic

Silvereye

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Zosterops lateralis

70–80% · Very likely
Grey Warbler
LC Endemic

Grey Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gerygone igata

70–80% · Very likely
Eurasian Blackbird
LC Endemic

Eurasian Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turdus merula

70–80% · Very likely
Welcome Swallow
LC

Welcome Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hirundo neoxena

60–70% · Likely
New Zealand Pigeon
LC Endemic

New Zealand Pigeon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae

50–60% · Likely
New Zealand Bellbird
LC Endemic

New Zealand Bellbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anthornis melanura

50–60% · Likely
Popokatea
LC Endemic

Popokatea

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mohoua albicilla

40–50% · Likely
Miromiro
LC Endemic

Miromiro

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Petroica macrocephala

40–50% · Likely
Song Thrush
LC

Song Thrush

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turdus philomelos

30–40% · Possible
European Starling
LC Endemic

European Starling

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sturnus vulgaris

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Common Brushtail
LC Endemic

Common Brushtail

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Trichosurus vulpecula

30–40% · Possible
Brown Hare
LC

Brown Hare

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Lepus europaeus

10–20% · With luck
Common Hedgehog
NT Endemic

Common Hedgehog

🌙 Nocturnal Mammal

Erinaceus europaeus

Insufficient data
Stoat
LC Endemic

Stoat

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Mustela erminea

Insufficient data
Elk
LC Endemic

Elk

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Cervus elaphus

Insufficient data

⭐ Iconic Species

Blue Duck ★
EN Endemic

Blue Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos

50–60% · Likely
New Zealand Kaka ★
VU Endemic

New Zealand Kaka

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nestor meridionalis

10–20% · With luck
Tūī ★
LC Endemic

Tūī

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae

70–80% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

New Zealand Fantail
LC Endemic

New Zealand Fantail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rhipidura fuliginosa

80–90% · Very likely
Chaffinch
LC

Chaffinch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Fringilla coelebs

80–90% · Very likely
Silvereye
LC Endemic

Silvereye

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Zosterops lateralis

70–80% · Very likely
Grey Warbler
LC Endemic

Grey Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gerygone igata

70–80% · Very likely
Eurasian Blackbird
LC Endemic

Eurasian Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turdus merula

70–80% · Very likely
Welcome Swallow
LC

Welcome Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hirundo neoxena

60–70% · Likely
New Zealand Pigeon
LC Endemic

New Zealand Pigeon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae

50–60% · Likely
New Zealand Bellbird
LC Endemic

New Zealand Bellbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anthornis melanura

50–60% · Likely
Popokatea
LC Endemic

Popokatea

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mohoua albicilla

40–50% · Likely
Miromiro
LC Endemic

Miromiro

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Petroica macrocephala

40–50% · Likely
Song Thrush
LC

Song Thrush

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turdus philomelos

30–40% · Possible
European Starling
LC Endemic

European Starling

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sturnus vulgaris

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Common New Zealand Skink
LC Endemic

Common New Zealand Skink

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Oligosoma polychroma

Insufficient data
Crenulate Skink
VU Endemic

Crenulate Skink

☀️🌙 Day & Night Reptile

Oligosoma robinsoni

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Southern Bell Frog

Southern Bell Frog

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Ranoidea raniformis

10–20% · With luck

Animal Events

🐦

Blue Duck Breeding Season

FebJunDec

Pairs perform courtship displays along clear, shallow rivers, with juveniles fledging in summer months.

Blue Duck
EN Endemic

Blue Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos

50–60% · Likely
🐦

Kaka Nesting in Native Forests

MarMaySepNovDec

Kaka excavate tree hollows for nesting, often seen foraging for nectar and insects in beech forests.

New Zealand Kaka
VU Endemic

New Zealand Kaka

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nestor meridionalis

10–20% · With luck
🐦

Tūī Dawn Chorus in

AprOct

Tūī gather in large numbers at dawn to sing complex songs, often seen defending feeding territories in flowering trees.

Tūī
LC Endemic

Tūī

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae

70–80% · Very likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Species Total
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
60–70
60–70
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
60–70
60–70
Blue Duck
40–50
60–70
30–40
40–50
50–60
60–70
40–50
40–50
50–60
30–40
50–60
60–70
New Zealand Kaka
5–10
10–20
10–20
10–20
10–20
10–20
10–20
5–10
10–20
10–20
20–30
30–40
Tūī
70–80
80–90
70–80
70–80
70–80
80–90
60–70
80–90
70–80
60–70
80–90
80–90
New Zealand Fantail
60–70
70–80
80–90
80–90
80–90
80–90
90–100
90–100
80–90
80–90
80–90
90–100
Chaffinch
90–100
70–80
60–70
60–70
70–80
60–70
90–100
90–100
90–100
60–70
80–90
90–100
Silvereye
80–90
90–100
70–80
80–90
80–90
80–90
80–90
60–70
70–80
60–70
70–80
80–90
Grey Warbler
60–70
50–60
80–90
70–80
80–90
70–80
80–90
70–80
60–70
80–90
70–80
80–90
Eurasian Blackbird
70–80
70–80
40–50
60–70
80–90
70–80
70–80
70–80
60–70
50–60
80–90
70–80
Welcome Swallow
70–80
60–70
40–50
50–60
50–60
70–80
50–60
70–80
60–70
60–70
70–80
60–70
New Zealand Pigeon
30–40
50–60
60–70
40–50
50–60
60–70
50–60
50–60
60–70
60–70
60–70
50–60
New Zealand Bellbird
40–50
60–70
40–50
70–80
60–70
50–60
50–60
50–60
40–50
60–70
40–50
50–60
Popokatea
20–30
30–40
60–70
40–50
50–60
60–70
40–50
50–60
50–60
50–60
40–50
50–60
Miromiro
40–50
20–30
50–60
30–40
30–40
30–40
60–70
50–60
30–40
50–60
40–50
60–70
Song Thrush
30–40
10–20
20–30
20–30
40–50
30–40
50–60
40–50
30–40
40–50
40–50
70–80
European Starling
30–40
20–30
30–40
40–50
30–40
40–50
20–30
20–30
30–40
30–40
40–50
50–60
Animal Events
🐦 Blue Duck Breeding Season
🐦 Kaka Nesting in Native Forests
🐦 Tūī Dawn Chorus in

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Moderate
🐦 Fantails Flit Across Volcanic Tussock

Where Wildlife Score

How good is this park for seeing wildlife?
🦜

Biodiversity

Good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg
2.4 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds
143
🐒 Mammals
15
🦎 Reptiles
12
🐸 Amphibians
1
171 Total Species
850 Global average across 296 parks
25 Threatened 59 Endemic
🔭

Sighting

Good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg
2.5 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
62% Global avg
65%
📊
Coverage (57 species at ≥5% of 171 in the inventory)
24% Global avg
33%
🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (12 bird)
46% Global avg
0%
🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
134 Global avg
45
🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
15 Global avg
1
⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
27 Global avg
12

Quick answers

What animals can you see in Tongariro National Park?

The most likely sightings are New Zealand Fantail (seen by 80–90% of wildlife watchers), Chaffinch (seen by 80–90% of wildlife watchers), Silvereye (seen by 70–80% of wildlife watchers), Tūī (seen by 70–80% of wildlife watchers), Grey Warbler (seen by 70–80% of wildlife watchers) — among 171 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.

When is the best time to visit Tongariro National Park for wildlife?

December has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.

Can you see Blue Duck in Tongariro National Park?

Yes — about 52% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Duck sighting in Tongariro National Park, based on 183 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see New Zealand Kaka in Tongariro National Park?

Yes — about 17% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Kaka sighting in Tongariro National Park, based on 61 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Tūī in Tongariro National Park?

Yes — about 78% of wildlife watchers report a Tūī sighting in Tongariro National Park, based on 277 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

⚖️

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