Between November 2023 and March 2024, Natural History curator Colin Miskelly is walking the length of Aotearoa New Zealand on Te Araroa Trail – counting every bird seen or heard along the way. In this seventh blog in the series, Colin describes birds encountered between Dinsdale and Te Kūiti.
Pirongia Maunga
Pirongia dominates this section of the Te Araroa Trail. Rising to 959 metres, it is the highest peak in the Waikato region and is visible over the full 115 km section of the trail, from Hamilton to Te Kūiti.
We spent two half days on the muddy tracks of the maunga, and stayed a night in Pahautea Hut – our first Department of Conservation hut on the trail.
Rural landscapes
Either side of Pirongia Maunga, Te Araroa mainly crosses pastoral farmland and along quiet country roads of south Waikato and northern King Country.
Most Te Araroa walkers spend a night at Waitomo, a day before reaching Te Kūiti. Many take the opportunity to visit the famous glow worm caves.
Forest birds of Pirongia and the northern King Country
We encountered our first bellbirds | korimako near the top of Pirongia – indeed they were the commonest species among the cold blowing mist of the summit ridge on the day of our ascent.
Bellbirds are a familiar species in Aotearoa forest south of here – at sites where cold winter temperatures keep the numbers of predatory ship rats in check.
We were also thrilled to hear the distinctive shriek of long-tailed cuckoos | koekoeā, and eventually get a glimpse of a calling bird before it flew.
In the North Island, these cuckoos lay their eggs in the nests of whiteheads | pōpokotea. Whiteheads are found on Pirongia Maunga, but mainly in areas where predator control is undertaken.
Te Araroa Trail follows the untrapped Tahuanui and Hihikiwi Tracks over the maunga, and so we failed to see or hear pōpokotea or rifleman | tītitipounamu, or the North Island robins | toutouwai or kōkako that have been translocated to the maunga.
We heard then saw our first pōpokotea the following day, encountering several flocks in tawa and kāmahi forest growing alongside Kaimango Road.
Farmland birds
The bird communities of Aotearoa’s farmland are dominated by introduced species – mostly from Europe (e.g. European goldfinch | kōurarini, common starling | tāringi, yellowhammer | hurukōwhai, and skylark | kairaka), plus Australian magpies | makipai and eastern rosellas | kākā uhi whero, and common myna | maina from Asia.
However, several of the larger bird species seen on or over farmland are native, including the endemic paradise shelduck | pūtangitangi.
The shelduck is notable for being the only New Zealand breeding bird species where the female is more strikingly patterned and colourful than the male.
Trail Angels
One of the challenges of walking the Te Araroa Trail is figuring out where to stay the night – for 120 nights or more. At a few locations, there are no huts, campgrounds or commercial accommodation providers.
Fortunately, an informal, voluntary network of ‘Trail Angels’ have recognised the need for Te Araroa walkers to be supported, and provide a variety of accommodation options throughout the length of Aotearoa.
Kaimango Road, south of Pirongia, is one place where locals have gone the extra mile to welcome and accommodate Te Araroa walkers.
Along with fellow walkers from the USA, England, Wales, the Netherlands and Israel, we were privileged to be hosted by legendary Trail Angel Jo, who has been providing manaakitanga and wonderful kai to walkers for more than a decade.
We had the option of pitching our tents on the front lawn of Jo’s ‘Funny Farm’, or sleeping on mattresses marae style in a large shed – which six of us chose to do.
We all sat down to an amazing feast of homemade bread rolls, haloumi, feta, butter and ice cream (yes – all homemade), with pork sausages, garden peas, beetroot and sauerkraut, and fruit salad and caramel sauce to accompany the ice-cream – and a complimentary wine or beer with our meal.
Seven weary travelers retired to bed with full tummies, happy faces, and heart-felt gratitude to Jo and all the Trail Angels who contribute so much to the Te Araroa experience.
Bird species added since the previous section
Long-tailed cuckoo | koekoeā, bellbird | korimako, whitehead | pōpokotea.
Summary statistics for section six
Cumulative totals for Te Araroa sections completed are given in parentheses.
- Days on the trail = 6 (37)
- Kilometres travelled and surveyed = 115 (946.5)
- eBird/Atlas checklists completed = 67 (539)
- Number of bird species = 42 (86)
- Total live birds seen or heard = 3,950 (42,706)
- Most abundant species = house sparrow | tiu (505), followed by six other introduced bird species
- Most abundant native species = silvereye | tauhou (139), followed by tūī (137)
- Most frequent species = chaffinch | pahirini (81.3 % of checklists), followed by Eurasian blackbird | manu pango (78.1 %)
- Most frequent native species = tūī (70.3 % of checklists), followed by grey warbler | riroriro (68.8 %)
- Endemic bird score = 30
Other blogs in this series
- Birds of Te Araroa 19 – Te Anau Highway to Bluff
- Birds of Te Araroa 18 – Wānaka to the Te Anau Highway
- Birds of Te Araroa 17 – Twizel to Wānaka
- Birds of Te Araroa 16 – Rakaia River to Twizel
- Birds of Te Araroa 15 – Boyle River to Rakaia River
- Birds of Te Araroa 14 – St Arnaud to Boyle Village
- Birds of Te Araroa 13 – Havelock to St Arnaud
- Birds of Te Araroa 12 – Cook Strait to Havelock
- Birds of Te Araroa 11 – Palmerston North to Wellington
- Birds of Te Araroa 10 – Whanganui to Palmerston North
- Birds of Te Araroa 9 – National Park to Whanganui
- Birds of Te Araroa 8 – Taumarunui to National Park
- Birds of Te Araroa 7 – Te Kūiti to Taumarunui
- Birds of Te Araroa 5 – Auckland to Hamilton
- Birds of Te Araroa 4 – Whangārei Harbour to Auckland
- Birds of Te Araroa 3 – Kerikeri to Whangārei Harbour
- Birds of Te Araroa 2 – Kaitāia to Kerikeri
- Birds of Te Araroa 1 – Cape Reinga to Kaitāia
- Every Last Bird – the Birds of Te Araroa Trail
