Tiritiri Matangi Island Things to Do

Some extensive grassy areas, especially along the highest parts of the island, were allowed to remain unforested to provide habitat for grassland species like the Takahe.
They also seem to provide favoured picnicing areas for day-trippers!

Forests now cover 60% of the island, providing habitat to most of the bird species.
Much of this forest is the result of extensive reforestation efforsts by volunteers some 20 yeears ago and is therefore still somewhat low and doesn't look completely natural.
Still it is already dense enough, and walking the trails through it is not only a good way to see most of the island's bird species but also to escape the heat during the day!

Another very rare New Zealand endemic which has been reintroduced to Tiritiri, this shy, drab brown bird is resident and breeding at certain water-holes scattered on the island. It is usually seen resting under the vegetation at the water's edge. If you can't find any by yourself, the rangers and volunteers should know about their whereabouts.

This species has been introduced to New Zealand from Australia, and why it has been allowed to remain on Tiritiri is a bit of a mystery to me - I guess it was judged to be harmless.
In any case, while usually a shy species, this quail can sometimes be observed quite close-up on the roads of the island.

These beautiful birds are now very rare on the main islands of New Zealand, but have fared better on off-shore islands with no predators. They still had to be reintroduced to Tiritiri, and were in fact the first birds to be released here. There are now a fair number of them on the island, but tend to be quite shy. They can be seen on forest edges, and also at the water-trays if you sit around patiently in quiet.

Anther endemic that has done relatively well on the mainland too, this large pigeon, like the Tui has actually survived on Tiritiri without having to be reintroduced.
Still, it is somewhat scarce and elusive on the island, and you will have to watch out for it!
It is usually seen quietly sitting under the dense canopy.

This endemic species is still found in good numbers in forests even on the main islands of New Zealand, but some birds from the North Island subspecies have been reintroduced to Tiritiri all the same. They may not look like much in their drab gray feathers, but are still fun to encounter, as they are among the boldest of birds, often actually approaching people walking on the trails.

Another great endemic rarity, the Saddleback has also become extinct on the mainland, with the last native populations surviving on Hen Island off Northland, a few islets off Stewart Island. The birds on Tiritiri are descendants of the Hen Island birds, representing the north Island subspecies. There are now hundreds of them on the island, making them easy to see throughout the forested areas.