Rakiura National Park
🇳🇿 New Zealand
🐦 Tūī Chorus in RakiuraRakiura National Park covers most of Stewart Island, sitting at the southernmost edge of New Zealand. This protected temperate forest reserve features dense podocarp woodland, sprawling coastal scrub, and quiet inlets shaped by isolation. Unlike mainland reserves, this remote island sanctuary offers rare opportunities to watch native wildlife thrive undisturbed in ancient coastal habitats.
-46.810° S 167.853° E
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Southern Brown Kiwi
Apteryx australis
★ 
Shy Mollymawk
Thalassarche cauta
★ 
Little Penguin
Eudyptula minor
★ 
VOC
Haematopus unicolor
📊 Most Spotted
Tūī
Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae
Silver Gull
Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
New Zealand Bellbird
Anthornis melanura
New Zealand Kaka
Nestor meridionalis
New Zealand Fantail
Rhipidura fuliginosa
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Red-crowned Parakeet
Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae
New Zealand Sea Lion
Phocarctos hookeri
New Zealand Pigeon
Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
Grey Warbler
Gerygone igata
White-fronted Tern
Sterna striata
South Island Robin
Petroica australis
📊 Most Spotted
New Zealand Sea Lion
Phocarctos hookeri
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
Long-nosed Fur Seal
Arctocephalus forsteri
Common Brushtail
Trichosurus vulpecula
Long-tailed Wattled Bat
Chalinolobus tuberculatus
Long-finned Pilot Whale
Globicephala melas
Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
Leopard Seal
Hydrurga leptonyx
Common Hedgehog
Erinaceus europaeus
Polynesian Rat
Rattus exulans
⭐ Iconic Species
★ Southern Brown Kiwi
Apteryx australis
★ Shy Mollymawk
Thalassarche cauta
★ Little Penguin
Eudyptula minor
★ VOC
Haematopus unicolor
📊 Most Spotted
Tūī
Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae
Silver Gull
Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
New Zealand Bellbird
Anthornis melanura
New Zealand Kaka
Nestor meridionalis
New Zealand Fantail
Rhipidura fuliginosa
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Red-crowned Parakeet
Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae
New Zealand Pigeon
Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
Grey Warbler
Gerygone igata
White-fronted Tern
Sterna striata
South Island Robin
Petroica australis
Mōhua (Yellowhead)
Mohoua ochrocephala
📊 Most Spotted
Southern Skink
Oligosoma notosaurus
Harlequin Gecko
Tukutuku rakiurae
Small-eared skink
Oligosoma stenotis
Green Skink
Oligosoma chloronoton
Common New Zealand Skink
Oligosoma polychroma
📊 Most Spotted
Recent sightings in Rakiura National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Albatross Breeding Season
Thousands of Shy Mollymawks return to breed on the Titi Islands, with spectacular aerial courtship displays and chick-rearing visible from boat tours.
2Kiwi Night Walks
Guided nocturnal walks in the forest reveal the elusive Southern Brown Kiwi foraging on the forest floor, with their calls echoing through the bush.
3Penguin Landing at Curio Bay
Little Penguins emerge from the ocean at dusk to waddle ashore at Curio Bay, a spectacle visible from the viewing platform during their annual moulting and breeding cycles.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Albatross Breeding Season
- 2Kiwi Night Walks
- 3Penguin Landing at Curio Bay
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
The feeding flocks of Sooty Shearwaters and White Fronted Terns were encountered as soon as we left the harbour.
I had barely recovered from taking one of my favourite photos of the trip when I heard the unmistakable squawking of a mature kiwi.
Rakiura Track day 1: Oban to Potirepo/Port William Next morning, our sprightly march through the forest was abruptly halted when we ran into three fellow travellers who said they’d just seen a kiwi bird, “but I scared it off” said one of them.
Imagine hiking here during wet periods, I’ve seen photos of people waist-deep in mud! (+5)9.08am (+4)9.12am (+12)9.24am (+40)8.04am: Suddenly, I spotted a deer standing right on the track.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Rakiura National Park?
The most likely sightings are Tūī (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Silver Gull (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), New Zealand Bellbird (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), VOC (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), New Zealand Kaka (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers) — among 244 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Rakiura National Park for wildlife?
December has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see Southern Brown Kiwi in Rakiura National Park?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Brown Kiwi sighting in Rakiura National Park, based on 894 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Shy Mollymawk in Rakiura National Park?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Shy Mollymawk sighting in Rakiura National Park, based on 879 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Little Penguin in Rakiura National Park?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Little Penguin sighting in Rakiura National Park, based on 596 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see VOC in Rakiura National Park?
Yes — about 80% of wildlife watchers report a VOC sighting in Rakiura National Park, based on 2,074 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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