New Zealand Falcon
Falco novaeseelandiae
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderFalconiformes (Falcons and Caracaras)
- FamilyFalconidae (Falcons and Caracaras)
- GenusFalco (Typical Falcons)
- SpeciesFalco novaeseelandiae (New Zealand Falcon)
The New Zealand falcon (Māori: kārearea, kārewarewa, or kāiaia; Falco novaeseelandiae) is New Zealand's only falcon, and one of only four living native and two endemic birds of prey. It is frequently mistaken for the larger and more common swamp harrier. It is the country's most threatened bird of prey, with only around 5000–15000 individuals remaining. Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System the falcon is stable at Threatened, with conservation research needed. The kārearea was voted Bird of the Year winner in the annual Forest & Bird competition in 2012 and again in 2025. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Falcon sighting in Tongariro National Park, based on 56 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aoraki Mount Cook National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Tongariro National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 5 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 6 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a New Zealand Falcon in Tongariro National Park?
About 16% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Falcon sighting in Tongariro National Park, based on 56 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see New Zealand Falcon in Tongariro National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for New Zealand Falcon in Tongariro National Park in our monthly data.