Did you take any of those pictures from your hide-out in Brazil?

NZer April 02, 2026 09:39 AM
Member since March 21, 2017
Did you know that since humans arrived in NZ, approximately 51 to maybe over 60 species of birds have been made extinct?
It looks like that sweet little bird is having a hard time surviving too. I'm horrified and very sad at what humanity has done to the birdlife here.
Here's another bird that is now protected because the Maoris nearly ate it to extinction like they did the Moa. It's the Kereru and this one has babies tucked under her wings. They're big birds!
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/69/ff/53/69ff5329b81ef35ae88692837b86c559.jpg
Now the
"Kereru"
is the cutest, especially this picture! ​
Looks to me like a
'dove of colour'
. ​️​
And I'll ignore the rest for today.
Otherwise we'll inevitably end up talking about
'our'
little cuties. ‍​‍​‍​
Dancing Kereru

Did you know that since humans arrived in NZ, approximately 51 to maybe over 60 species of birds have been made extinct?
It looks like that sweet little bird is having a hard time surviving too. I'm horrified and very sad at what humanity has done to the birdlife here.
Here's another bird that is now protected because the Maoris nearly ate it to extinction like they did the Moa. It's the Kereru and this one has babies tucked under her wings. They're big birds!

I meant the grumpy owl in your first post
My password is password.

by /.ㅤ April 02, 2026 09:06 AM
Member since January 25, 2022
Thanks for the great pics, Tara! That is one grumpy owl!
Juanita ​🤪​​ on the shared account /. cannot distinguish between Rifleman and Owl.
But most importantly, needed to drop a pee-reply asap for being kept in mind.

Thanks for the great pics, Tara! That is one grumpy owl!
My password is password.

NZer March 20, 2026 08:16 PM
Member since March 21, 2017
It's already Saturday here but I'll take the reward of 27 animal pictures anyway.
They made me smile.
It's not Friday yet, even not in NZ, but here's a NZ special, timeless.
NZer knows all that, but the pics are cute although.
Fluffy green Ping-Pong Balls 🟢​🟢​🟢​🟢​🟢​ 5 facts you should know about the Rifleman
Described as a “marshmallow on legs”, titipounamu (rifleman) are one of two surviving species
of endemic wren. We already know they’re adorable, so what else makes them special?
Titipounamu fledglings in Wellington city.

1. Titipounamu (Riflemen) are our smallest endemic Bird and similar in Size to a Golf Ball.
   Titipounamu males weigh 6 g and females weigh 7 g which is about the weight of a sheet of paper (5 g).
   Of all our endemic birds, titipounamu lay the smallest eggs. Over the period of a week, a female will lay 2-5 little white eggs, each egg weighing about 1.5 g which is almost a quarter of her weight.
   Egg production demands a lot of energy, so males provide extra food
   for the female to keep her well-fed during this time.
   Adult male Rifleman…
   […hangs down-under. ]
2. Titipounamu (Riflemen) were once common throughout New Zealand.
   Now, ​their distribution is patchy due to predation and forest fragmentation. These birds are mainly found in higher altitude forests in both the North and South Islands. Titipounamu are relatively poor flyers with a limited capability to fly across open ground. This means that once they're extinct in a certain area, new birds aren’t able to fly there to re-establish a population.
   The titipounamu and the alpine rock wren are the only surviving species of the New Zealand wren family. The other five species from this ancient family are extinct due to predation by introduced mammals. One of these species, the bush wren became extinct in around 1972 and is one of the most recent NZ birds to become extinct.
   Titipounamu (Rifleman).
3. Titipounamu form life-long monogamous Pair-Bonds and only replace a Mate if one dies.
   When a pair of titipounamu breed, both parents are responsible for building the nest, incubating the eggs and feeding their chicks. Titipounamu live in cooperative groups and it’s common for other birds to help feed the nestlings. These helpers can be older siblings from previous broods or they can be completely unrelated to the nestlings.
   It's thought these unrelated helpers, often male, gain opportunities to find a mate as a result.
   A pair of titipounamu (riflemen).
4. Titipounamu's Calls are so high-pitched that they're inaudible for some People.
   Both sexes produce these calls which are described as high-pitched squeaky ‘zipts’ and ‘pips’. When titipounamu forage for insects with their mates, they keep in contact by frequently calling to each other.
   Titipounamu (Rifleman).
5. Both the Te Reo Māori and the English Names refer to the male Bird’s green Colouring.
   The Te Reo Māori name ‘titipounamu’ is a combination of two words: ‘tītiti’ which means ‘a mirage of’ and ‘pounamu’ which means greenstone. This name refers to both the bird’s green colouring and the way it zips around quickly.
   Only the males are green; females are a brownish yellow.
   The English 'Rifleman' refers to the green military jackets that NZ riflemen wore in the 19th century.
   Titipounamu (Rifleman).
   https://predatorfreenz.org/stories/5-facts-you-should-know-about-titipounamu/
   December 08, 2021
   2nd Rifle Brigade at the Battle of Alma (1854).

It's already Saturday here but I'll take the reward of 27 animal pictures anyway. They made me smile.