A small but lovely gift he's left behind. I have fond recollections of wondering what bird would be up next.

I remember hearing Robert Taylor talk about the fake ruru call back when I listened to RNZ much more than I do now. He had such a gentle way of speaking.

#birds #NZBirds

Former RNZ broadcaster who started bird call tradition dies aged 82 | RNZ News
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/community/597609/former-rnz-broadcaster-who-started-bird-call-tradition-dies-aged-82

The "super parents" of the bird world https://www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-releases/2026-media-releases/the-super-parents-of-the-bird-world/ or https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2605/S00456/the-super-parents-of-the-bird-world-revealed.htm 21 May 2026

Kākāriki karaka parents produce 55 chicks in breeding programme https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/science-and-technology/596006/kakariki-karaka-parents-produce-55-chicks-in-breeding-programme 22 May 2026

Critically endangered kākāriki karaka boosted as Nacho and Trixie raise 55 chicks https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/christchurch/critically-endangered-kakariki-karaka-boosted-as-nacho-and-trixie-raise-55-chicks/5L6ZABFH3BCFLJ2226SFON4N5Y/ 21 May, 2026

Critically endangered New Zealand parakeet gets lifeline from randy pair https://www.france24.com/en/environment/20260527-twice-extinct-parakeet-gets-lifeline-from-randy-pair 27/05/2026 or https://au.news.yahoo.com/love-birds-twice-extinct-parakeet-032521258.html

The France24 story was sourced from AFP and there's been a few other publications with this AFP story. They may have also released it in other languages as I've seen similar headlines + pics in German and French.

This Pair of Parakeets Are Saving Their Species One Chick at a Time https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/02/world/australia/kakariki-karaka-bird-parakeet-new-zealand-endangered.html?unlocked_article_code=1.nFA.0eMA.nVlpEy_mHnzK&smid=url-share NYT Free article. June 2, 2026.

About Kākāriki karaka / orange fronted parakeet / Cyanoramphus malherbi

DOC https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/nz-parakeet-kakariki/orange-fronted-parakeet/

or wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanoramphus_malherbi

New Zealand parakeet / kākāriki

https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/nz-parakeet-kakariki/

or wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C4%81k%C4%81riki

#NZBirds #Aotearoa #NewZealand #NZ #Kākārikikaraka #Kākāriki #parakeet #parakeets

Black-billed gull (Chroicocephalus bulleri ) [Tarāpuka] on the beach in Gisborne, New Zealand, they are more slender and less common than the Red-billed gull, this one was was still eyeing up some unattended bags for possible lunch!

Shot on #Nikon Z8 with a 180-600 @ 600mm, f/6.3, 1/1250, ISO250 #birds #nzbirds

Royal spoonbills (Platalea regia) [Kōtuku ngutupapa] on mud flats in a blustery breeze in Auckland, New Zealand. They are curious looking birds that self mitigated from Australia. Brief video of the same scene: https://youtu.be/BkeTZXX6hC4

Shot on #Nikon Z8 with a 180-600 @ 600mm, f/6.3, 1/640s, ISO90 #birds #nzbirds