News | Wildlife

Kākāriki or yellow-crowned parakeets are small, bright green, noisy parrots that spend most of their time high in the forest canopy.  Their characteristic chatter can

The pāteke/brown teal is a small New Zealand dabbling duck and the rarest native waterfowl found on the mainland.  Since 2017, DOC and Project Janszoon

The whio / blue duck is only found in New Zealand and one of only a handful of ducks that live in fast flowing rivers.

For many people visiting Abel Tasman National Park, their encounters with weka are memorable. This large flightless bird appears fearless, approaching closely yet quick to

The Australasian gannet or tākapu is a large white seabird with a 1.8 metre wingspan. While there is no breeding colony in the park they

The robin or kakaruai / toutouwai is a friendly bird, often coming to within a couple of metres of people. They like to get close

The Powelliphanta snail is a giant of the snail world, growing up to 90mm across.  Throw in the fact it is carnivorous and sucks up

One of the rarest species you may find in the Abel Tasman is the native snail Rhytida oconnori.  This is a smaller snail than the

The Nelson Green Gecko is one of our rarest animals. Confined to the Nelson area, this gecko is known to be present on islands in

Fur seals, or kekeno, are the most common seals in New Zealand and several hundred make the Abel Tasman coastline their home.  Tonga Island is