Birds Image Stock: Recently Added Galleries and Collections

Watercock

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 19:04:47 GMT

]]>The watercock (Gallicrex cinerea) is a waterbird in the rail and crake family found in swamps across south Asia from India and Sri Lanka to south China, Japan and Indonesia. The watercock lives in reedbeds, marshes, and wetlands, and feeds by probing with its bill in mud or shallow water. The watercock males are black-grey plumage while females are brown.

Moorhen

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 19:04:47 GMT

]]>Moorhens (Gallinula chloropus), sometimes called marsh hen or river chicken, are members of the rail family Rallidae. The name moorhen is closely linked to the English word mere, meaning a shallow pond or lake, which is where they are often found. So merehen is probably a more accurate name. Its toes are lobed, not webbed. The Moorhen appears mostly black, but a closer look reveals blackish-brown upperparts and grey-black below. The moorhen is found on all continents, except Australia and Antarctica. The moorhen is a good swimmer and diver but has long-toed, unwebbed feet. These large, chicken-like feet enable it to walk on floating vegetation and climb through dense clumps of emergent vegetation. It rarely flies, but when forced to, it flutters away, barely skimming the water, half running, half flying along the surface, then it suddenly drops into the marsh. When flying from pond to pond, flight is strong and direct. The common moorhen is also known as the American gallinule.

Wild turkey

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 19:01:16 GMT

]]>The Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) was preferred by Benjamin Franklin as the national bird of the United States – he wrote to his daughter in 1784 criticising the choice of the Eagle as the national bird and suggested that a Turkey would have been better. It is resident throughout much of the United States and extreme southern Canada extending south to inland Mexico. The Wild Turkey is one of only two domesticated birds originating in the New World. The other is the Muscovy Duck. European explorers took them to Europe from Mexico in the early 1500s. They were so successfully domesticated there that English colonists brought them back with them when they settled on the Atlantic Coast.

Starling – Taringi

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 18:53:21 GMT

]]>Taringi is the Māori name for the starling in New Zealand, where it was introduced from Europe in the mid-1860s for insect control. It is exactly the same bird as the Eurasian starling.

Swamp / Australasian harrier

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 18:43:58 GMT

]]>The swamp harrier (Circus approximans), also known as the Australasian marsh harrier or Australasian harrier, is found widely across Australasia, including Australia, New Zealand, and parts of the Pacific. In New Zealand, the Māori name is kāhu – a symbol of victory and chieftainship. Swamp harriers hunt in open country, feeding on small birds and mammals up to the size of rabbits, as well as lizards, frogs, fish, and large insects, as well as carrion. Juveniles are uniformly dark chocolate brown, while adults become much lighter, tawny-brown, and heavily streaked with pale cream or buff.

Cattle / cows

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 18:23:48 GMT

]]>Cattle is a word for mammals that belong to the genus Bos. Cattle may be cows, bulls, oxen, or calves. Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated hoofed animals. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae. Cattle are large grazing animals with two-toed or cloven hooves and a four-chambered stomach. This stomach is an adaptation to help digest tough grasses.

Black billed gull

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 18:19:23 GMT

]]>The Black-billed Gull (Chroicocephalus bulleri), also known as the tarāpuka or Buller's gull, is a rare, delicate seabird endemic to New Zealand. It is considered one of the most threatened gull species globally. While they can live to a staggering 40 years old, severe habitat loss and predation by introduced mammals have caused their population to plummet. Their legs and orbital eye-rings transform from dark to bright red as the breeding season progresses, a change believed to be stimulated by the presence of begging chicks. From February to June, the ring around their eyes is black, but it transitions to a bright orange-red or dark red for the rest of the year. Most birds breed on large, gravelly braided riverbeds, but a small number breed on the North Island - including around Rotorua.

Paradise shelduck

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 19:08:23 GMT

]]>The paradise shelduck (Tadorna variegata) is a colourful, conspicuous and noisy waterfowl that could be mistaken for a small goose. The genus name Tadorna comes from Celtic roots and means "pied waterfowl”. It is endemic to New Zealand. The paradise shelduck is the second-most abundant waterfowl in New Zealand (after mallard). Known to the Māori as pūtangitangi, but now commonly referred to as the "paradise duck", it is a prized game bird. Before Europeans settled in New Zealand the Māori hunted paradise shelducks in favoured districts. Hunting was done outside the breeding season when the birds were moulting and could not fly. During the breeding season hunting them was forbidden. Both the male and female have striking plumage: the male has a black head and barred black body, the female a white head with a chestnut body.

New Zealand scaup / pāpango

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 19:06:50 GMT

]]>The endemic New Zealand scaup (Aythya novaeseelandiae), also known as the black teal (or pāpango and several other names in Māori), is New Zealand's only true freshwater diving duck. It is also the sole scaup species found in the entire Southern Hemisphere. Males feature striking yellow irises and dark plumage glossed with an iridescent green and blue sheen. Females have brown irises and a duller, browner appearance. They live in freshwater lakes, ponds, and slow rivers, across both the North Island and South Island.

New Zealand falcon

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 18:57:42 GMT

]]>The New Zealand falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae), named for its primary habitat in the dense native bush and forests of New Zealand, is the country's only falcon and only endemic bird of prey. Also known as the Bush Falcon and the Indigenous Māori name kārearea, it has shorter wings and longer tails than other falcons which give it extreme manoeuverability to weave through dense forests. The species is divided into three distinct regional types that vary in size, colouration, and habitat across the islands:
Bush Falcon: The smallest and darkest form, found primarily in North Island forests.
Eastern Falcon: The largest and palest variant, inhabiting the open, dry terrains east of the Southern Alps.
Southern Falcon: Intermediate in size and colour, native to Fiordland, Stewart Island, and the subantarctic Auckland Islands.

Falcons

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 18:56:27 GMT

]]>There are more than 40 different species of falcon (Falconiforme). They are related to hawks and eagles and can be found worldwide on every continent except Antarctica. This makes them the most widespread raptor and one of the most widely found bird species – although falcons tend to prefer the more temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Falcons have been recorded diving at speeds of up to 200mph. They range in size from the falconets at 6 inches (15 cm) long to the Arctic gyrfalcon at 24 inches (60 cm).
See: Lanner falcon; Peregrine Falcon; Orange breasted falcon; Red necked falcon, Saker falcon

Grebes

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 18:49:42 GMT

]]>Grebes are small to medium-sized water birds, of the family Podicipediformes, characterised by pointed bills (long and dagger-like in larger species), round bodies, tiny tails and legs set far back on the body. Grebes resemble the loon and the duck – DNA testing suggests that they may be most closely related to the flamingo. They have short wings, vestigial tails, and long, individually webbed toes on feet that are set far back on a short, stubby body. They float lower in the water than do ducks, and at the approach of danger they sink progressively lower and then submerge, a practice which has given them the name helldiver. They are poor fliers and awkward on land; their loosely constructed nests are either hidden in the rushes and weeds at the water's edge or placed on floating vegetation fastened to growing plants. Many grebes cover their eggs with refuse when they leave the nest, and some carry the young on their backs. They have complex courtship rituals, including dancing in pairs on the water.
See also: Black-necked grebe, Clark’s grebe, Great crested grebe, Least grebe, Little grebe, Western grebe

New Zealand dabchick

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 18:49:26 GMT

]]>The endemic New Zealand dabchick (Poliocephalus rufopectus), also known by its Māori name weweia, almost never steps on to dry land. It is a distant cousin of the little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) – the name dabchick is often used for the little grebe in Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia. Once common across the South Island, they mysteriously vanished from there as a breeding species around 1940. Today, the total population hovers around 1,900 to 2,000 individuals, mostly surviving on North Island lakes and farm ponds.

Monarch

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 18:44:58 GMT

]]>The monarch butterfly or simply monarch (Danaus plexippus) name Monarch is believed to have been given in honour of King William III of England, as the butterfly's main colour is that of the king's secondary title, Prince William of Orange. William was so adored by some early European settlers to North America that they bequeathed the name “Monarch” to this very orange and regal species. Males have a small black spot on the top surface of the hindwing. Females do not. You can see the spot when the wings are open; sometimes it's faintly visible when the wings are closed, too. Males also have slightly thinner wing veins.

Masked plover / masked lapwing

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 18:30:53 GMT

]]>The Masked lapwing (Vanellus miles) previously known as the masked plover and often called the spur-winged plover or just plover in its native range, is native to Australia and New Zealand. It spends most of its time on the ground searching for food such as insects and worms and has several distinctive calls. The Masked Lapwing is mainly white below, with brown wings and back and a black crown. Birds have large yellow wattles covering the face, and are equipped with a thorny spur that projects from the wrist on each wing. The sexes are similar, although the male tends to have a larger spur.

Mallard

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 18:28:09 GMT

]]>The mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) or wild duck is a dabbling duck. With a long body and a long and broad bill, the male has a dark green head, a yellow bill, is mainly purple-brown on the breast and grey on the body. The female is mainly brown with an orange bill. Though they will pair up in the autumn, the drake only remains with his partner until she starts incubating, and has nothing to do with rearing the ducklings. Only the female, or duck, makes the familiar quacking. The drake’s call is a much softer and quieter note. The expression “water off a duck’s back” is a reminder of the waterproof qualities of the feathers. They are kept waterproof by regular applications of oil from the preen gland. Scoring a duck in cricket reflects the fact that the 0 on the score sheet resembles the shape of a duck’s egg.

Little black shag / cormorant

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 18:24:47 GMT

]]>The little black cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) is common in smaller rivers and lakes throughout most areas of Australia and northern New Zealand, where it is known as the little black shag, as well as parts of Indonesia. Males and females have identical sleek black plumage and brilliant green-blue eyes – the bill is grey, and legs and feet are black. Little black cormorants hunt in massive flocks that can number in the hundreds. They have a translucent nictitating membrane (a third eyelid) that snaps shut underwater to protect their eyes while hunting.

Kelp gull

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:43:45 GMT

]]>The kelp gull (Larus dominicanus), also known as the Dominican gull, is named for its frequent association with marine kelp beds in the Southern Hemisphere. It lives across coasts and islands through the Southern Hemisphere, including South America, southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica – it is the only gull species that breeds there. The Kelp gull feeds on fish, crustaceans, molluscs, and carrion. It drops hard-shelled molluscs and shellfish on to rocks from a height to crack them open. They can be quite aggressive, known for attacking seals and even whales to extract blubber.

Giant wetapunga

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:40:27 GMT

]]>Native to New Zealand, the giant wētāpunga (Deinacrida heteracantha) is named after the Māori god of ugly things (Punga). The largest of New Zealand's 11 giant wētā species and one of the heaviest insects in the world, this ancient, wingless, cricket-like creature can weigh up to 71 grams—making it heavier than a house sparrow. The wētā lineage is over 190 million years old.

Gannet (Southern, Australasian)

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:37:39 GMT

]]>The word "gannet" comes from the Old English word ganot, which means "strong" or "forceful", based on the bird's powerful flight and dynamic, high-speed plunge-diving capabilities. Ganot itself is derived from Proto-Germanic roots related to the word "goose" – gannets were historically nicknamed "solan geese". In New Zealand, the bird is widely known by its Māori name, tākapu (or tākupu), a term of wider Polynesian origin used traditionally to describe gannets or boobies. The Australasian gannet ranges across coastal waters and offshore islands of New Zealand and southern and eastern Australia, stretching from Western Australia to Queensland.

Sheep

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:35:44 GMT

]]>There are more than 200 breeds of sheep (Ovis aries) and there are over one billion domestic sheep in the world. Sheep can recognise individual human faces, and remember them for years. In addition to long-term facial recognition of individuals, sheep can also differentiate emotional states through facial characteristics.

Common myna

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:28:16 GMT

]]>The common myna (Acridotheres tristis), a member of the starling family, is sometimes spelled mynah. Sometimes known as the Indian myna – it is a native of India, east and west Pakistan and Burma – it was introduced to many Pacific lands, including New Zealand, to combat invertebrate pests. It is common around the world.

Teal

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:14:17 GMT

]]>There are more than 20 species of teal throughout the world, all in the scientific genus Anas and belonging to the family Anatidae with other ducks, geese and swans. Dabbling ducks, the creation of the colour teal is believed to have been taken from the small freshwater common teal whose eyes are surrounded by this colour.
See also: Baikal teal, Bernier's teal, Cape teal, Common teal, Hottentot teal, Ringed teal

Ducks

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:13:55 GMT

]]>Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) the Anatidae family of birds, are roughly divided into 'surface feeders', which rarely dive, and 'diving ducks', which dive under for food.
See also: Aylesbury Duck, American wigeon, Ancona duck, Australian Shelduck, Australian shoveler, Bahama pintail, Baer's pochard, Baikal teal, Barrow's goldeneye, Bernier teal, Black Swedish duck, Brazilian teal, Bufflehead,Cape shelduck, Cape teal, Chestnut teal, Chiloe Wigeon, Cinnamon teal, Comb Duck, Crested duck, Eider duck, Falcated duck, Ferruginous duck, Freckled duck, Fulvous Tree Duck, Fulvous whistling duck, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Greater scaup, Hardhead, Hooded merganser, Indian Running duck, Laysan duck, Maccao duck, Mallard, Mandarin duck, Mottled duck, Muscovy Duck, Northern pintail, Northern shoveler, Paradise shelduck, Patagonian crested duck, Philippine Duck, Pintail, Pochard, Puna teal, Radjah shelduck, Red crested pochard, Redhead, Ringed teal, Rosybill, Ruddy duck, Ruddy shelduck, Shelduck, Shoveler, Smew, Spot-billed duck, Teal, Tufted Duck, Whistling ducks, Wigeon, Wood duck, Yellow billed duck

Brown teal / Pāteke

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:13:36 GMT

]]>The endemic pāteke or brown teal (Anas chlorotis)is New Zealand’s rarest mainland waterfowl. Once the most common waterfowl in New Zealand, they suffered severe declines due to introduced predators like rats and stoats. Intensive predator control and captive-reintroduction programs managed by the Department of Conservation have helped their populations slowly increase. Unlike most ducks, pāteke are mainly active at night or during twilight, spending the daylight hours hiding in shaded, overhanging vegetation. Both sexes of brown teal are darkish brown with a distinctive white eye-ring. Males in breeding plumage have an indistinct green iridescence on the head, females and juveniles are a uniformly dull but dark mottled brown.

Common blackbird

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:04:27 GMT

]]>The common blackbird (Turdus merula), also called the Eurasian blackbird, is found throughout most of Europe. It is the most numerous breeding bird in the British Isles, with a population of around 6 million pairs. Females are brown often with spots and streaks on their breasts.

Black swan

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:00:15 GMT

]]>The black swan (Cygnus atratus) is a large waterbird, a species of swan, which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. The body is mostly black, with the exception of the broad white wing tips which are visible in flight. The black swan utters a musical and far reaching bugle-like sound, called either on the water or in flight, as well as a range of softer crooning notes. It can also whistle, especially when disturbed while breeding and nesting.

Gulls

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:54:32 GMT

]]>Gulls or seagulls are seabirds of the family Laridae in the sub-order Lari. Gulls are typically medium to large birds, usually grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. Herring Gull = pale grey to mid grey back and pink legs.
See also: Black headed gull, Common Gull, Franklin’s gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring gull, Kittiwake, Laughing gull, Lava gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Ring billed gull, Slender-billed gull, Swallow tailed Gull

Barred coprosna moth

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:46:19 GMT

]]>Endemic to New Zealand, the barred Coprosma moth (Austrocidaria gobiata) is named because its caterpillars rely heavily on native Coprosma trees. Found across both the North and South Islands, it is also known as the barred Coprosma carpet or the pale oblique-barred moth. It is a unique species belonging to the Geometridae family.

Australian shelduck

birdsimagestock@gmail.com (Birds Image Stock) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:36:28 GMT

]]>The Australian shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides), also known as the mountain duck, is the largest Australian duck. Its dark body contrasts with brilliant white wing patches. The genus name Tadorna comes from Celtic roots and means pied waterfowl. The Mountain Duck is a very vocal bird, especially in flight. Females can be distinguished from males by a white ring around the eye and the base of the bill.