Maori Bird Names

Australasian gannet - takapu
Australasian harrier (harrier hawk) - kahu
Banded dotterel - tuturiwhata
Banded rail - mohopereru
Bellbird - korimako
Black-billed and red-billed gulls - tarapunga
Black-fronted and white-fronted tern - tara
Black petrel - taiko
Black shag - kawau
Black stilt - kaki
Blue duck - whio
Brown teal - pateke
Bush wren - matuhi
Caspian tern - taranui
Dabchick - weweia
Diving petrel - kuaka
Fairy prion - titi-wainui
Fantail - piwakawaka
Fernbird - matata
Godwit - kuaka
Grey duck - parera
Grey teal - tete
Grey warbler - riroriro
Kaka - no English name
Kakapo (translation 'night parrot') - no English name
Kea - no English name
Kereru / Kukupa - New Zealand pigeon
Kingfisher - kotare
Kiwi - no English name
Kokako - sometimes known as 'wattled crow'
Little blue penguin - korora
Little shag - kawaupaka
Long-tailed cuckoo - koekoea
Morepork - ruru
New Zealand falcon - karearea
New Zealand shoveler duck - kuruwhengi
Pied shag - karuhiruhi
Pied stilt - poaka
Pukeko - swamp hen
Red-crowned or yellow-crowned parakeet - kakariki (translation 'green')
Rifleman - titipounamu
Robin - toutouwai
Royal albatross - toroa
Saddleback - tieke
Silvereye - tauhou
Shining cuckoo - pipiwharauroa
Sooty and Hutton's shearwaters - titi
South Island oystercatcher - torea
Stitchbird - hihi
Takahe - no English name (moho is an older Maori name for takahe)
Tomtit - miromiro
Tui - sometimes known as 'parson's bird' because of the white tuft of feathers on its throat
Variable oystercatcher - torea-pango
Weka - wood hen
Whithead - popokatea
White heron - kotuku
Wrybill - ngutu-parore
Yellow-eyed penguin - hoiho (translation 'noisy shouter')
Yellowhead - mohua