Natural history curator Dr Colin Miskelly completed Te Araroa Trail a year ago today. His epic mission was to count every individual bird seen and heard along the 3,257 km trail, from Cape Reinga to Bluff. He has now completed another marathon – analysing, writing-up and publishing his findings as a scientific paper. ‘Birds of Te Araroa Trail – Aotearoa New Zealand’s long pathway’ was published in the March 2025 issue of the journal Notornis, just xx days ago. Colin shares the main findings here.Read more

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A man is crouching down by some bushes and is holding a bird in one hand.

We are dedicating this blog post to acknowledge two honours recently bestowed on one of our own, Curator Vertebrates Dr Colin Miskelly. He has been made a Fellow of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand and received the New Zealand Association of Scientists Cranwell Medal. A huge congratulations on these achievements, Colin!Read more

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The Hump Ridge Track was officially opened as Aotearoa New Zealand’s eleventh Great Walk in late October 2024. Te Papa natural history curator Dr Colin Miskelly walked the track a few weeks later and compared its birdaciousness with the ten other Great Walks. The newest Great Walk The Hump RidgeRead more

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A cream-coloured stamp with a green border and rust-coloured image of a bird sitting in a tree.

The Manumea, or tooth-billed pigeon (Didunculus strigirostris), is an endemic bird of Sāmoa, currently on the brink of extinction. How can museums help to protect this national treasure? In this blog, Research Assistant Annika Sung examines how Te Papa’s collections can teach us about the Manumea and its entwined relationship to various aspects of Sāmoan life and culture.Read more

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Between November 2023 and March 2024, Natural History curator Colin Miskelly walked the length of Aotearoa New Zealand on Te Araroa Trail – counting every bird seen or heard along the way. In this twentieth blog in the series, Colin describes birds encountered while walking the final section, through the Takitimu, Woodlaw, and Longwood Ranges to Colac Bay, then east along the coast to Invercargill, and south to the trail end at Stirling Point, Bluff.Read more

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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 nineteenth blog in the series, Colin describes birds encountered while walking through Motatapu Station to Arrowtown then Queenstown, then up the Greenstone Track and past the Mavora Lakes to State Highway 49.Read more

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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 eighteenth blog in the series, Colin describes the birds (and lizards) encountered while exiting the McKenzie Basin and walking over remote mountain passes to reach Lake Hāwea and Wānaka. He also expresses his dismay at the outcome of the Bird of the Century competition.Read more

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A falcon with one claw scrunched up is standing on an old burnt log.

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 seventeenth blog in the series, Colin describes birds encountered while walking through the treeless landscapes of South Canterbury, from the south bank of the Rakaia River to the former construction town of Twizel in the heart of the McKenzie Basin.Read more

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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 sixteenth blog in the series, Colin describes birds encountered while walking through Lake Sumner Forest Park, Arthur’s Pass National Park, Craigieburn Forest Park, and down the Harper River to Lake Coleridge and the Rakaia River.Read more

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