Extinct Species of New Zealand.

On this page is a list of New Zealand's 67 species - extinguished since human ihabitation: birds, lizards, frogs, molluscs and a bat. 

The total threatened with extinction has now increased by 416 to 2788 according to the latest (2005) New Zealand Threat Classification list published by the Department of Conservation. The latest State of New Zealand's Environment report (2007), advises that all ten indicator species are still in decline. New Zealand has been developing for 80 million years since it separated from Gondwanaland and the Maori has been here for about 1000 years. To get a perspective on the time frames NZ has been inhabited for  one second of a 24 hour day. It was the last large landmass to be found. Pending risks are primarily from habit loss and introduced predators. We have removed 75% of our forests and 90% of our wetlands. New Zealand was free of mammalian predators, such as cats, rats and mustelids (stoats & ferrets etc) so our species were naive and not equipped to defend themselves. Many of our birds couldn't fly. The haast's eagle was the largest eagle in the world by far and is known to have eaten moa, a suitable size meal for such a large bird. The haast's eagle is thought to have become extinct after the moa hunters depleted its primary food source.

It has been found from recent examinations of skins of the huia bird that they had their own mite which became extinct with them.

A significant extinction of recent times is the South Island kokako in 2007. It had a call described as haunting similar to several pipe organs.

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Extinct birds since European settlement, mid 19th century

Auckland Islands Merganser

Chatham Islands Rail

Dieffenbach's Rail

Stewart Island Snipe

Little Barrier Snipe

New Zealand Quail

North Island Takahe

South Island Kokako (2007)

Huia, South Island Piopio

North Island Piopio

Chatham Islands Bellbird

New Zealand Little Bittern

Stephens Island Wren

Bush Wren (1972)

South Island Bush Wren

North Island Bush Wren

Stewart Island Bush Wren

Chatham Islands Fernbird

Laughing Owl

Extinct birds, Maori settlement to European settlement

North Island Adzebill

South Island Adzebill

Eyles' Harrier

Haast's Eagle

Giant Chatham Island Rail

Hodgen's Waterhen

Snipe-rail

Chatham Islands Coot

Giant Chatham Island Snipe

New Zealand Owlet-nightjar

Chatham Islands Raven

New Zealand Raven

North Island Raven

South Island Raven

New Zealand Musk Duck

Chatham Islands Duck

New Zealand Pink-eared Duck

Finsch's Duck

North Island Goose

South Island Goose

New Zealand Swan

Bush Moa

Upland Moa

Heavy-footed Moa

Crested Moa

Mappin's Moa

Stout-legged Moa

Coastal Moa

Eastern Moa

North Island Giant Moa

Giant Moa

Extinct Reptiles

Kawekaweau

Narrow-bodied Skink

Northland Skink

Extinct Bats

Greater Short Tailed Bat (Last seen April 1965)

Extinct Amphibians

Aurora frog

Markham's frog

Waitomo frog

Stereospondyl

Extinct Fish

New Zealand grayling (about 1940)

Extinct Insects

Mecodema punctellum

Extinct Molluscs

Placostylus ambagiosus gardneri

Placostylus ambagiosus hinemoa

Placostylus ambagiosus lesleyae

Placostylus ambagiosus priscus

Placostylus ambagiosus spiritus

Placostylus ambagiosus worthyi

KawekaweauPhoto - Aaron Matthew Bauer Licence

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