Biodiversity

The Murchison Mountains area is a 51,000 hectare peninsula on the western side of Lake Te Anau. Three sides are bordered by the lake, and the fourth side is somewhat protected by its remoteness. It is identified in Aotearoa New Zealand as a specially protected area. The area holds a range of unique flora and fauna. It has a rugged climate and landscape that is home to a number of increasingly rare native birds. Most famous is the takahē, but also present are mohua (yellowhead), whio (blue duck), kea, kākā, kākāriki, kārearea (New Zealand falcon), weka, tuke (rock wren), miromiro (tomtit), tūī, korimako (bellbird), pīwakawaka (fantail), ‎tītipounamu (rifleman), riroriro (grey warbler), pīpipi (brown creeper), tauhou (silvereye), pīhoihoi (pipit) and kiwi.

Related Hub resources:

• Biodiversity – article

• Predation of native birds – article

• Introducing biodiversity – activity

• Biodiversity battleships – activity

• Threats to biodiversity – activity

Related ZEALANDIA resource:

• Compare and contrast takahē vs pūkeko visual organiser worksheet – template for students to examine similarities and differences between pūkeko and takahē

Image: Ludmila Ruzickova, 123RF Ltd