Tara Iti / NZ Fairy Tern

Tara iti / New Zealand fairy tern are the rarest birds in Aotearoa New Zealand with fewer than 50 individuals surviving.  

Nesting on low-lying sand banks near the ocean, their eggs and chicks are extremely vulnerable to predation by introduced mammals and growing disturbance from off-road vehicles, people and their pets, as well as high tides and extreme weather. 

Auckland Zoo has a crucial role in conserving tara iti with the Department of Conservation, and 2026 marks our seventh year applying the Zoo’s specialist bird care skills in support of their recovery. 

Wild-laid eggs are brought to Auckland Zoo by DOC rangers, where they are hatched and hand-reared, before being released to fledge naturally within a predator-exclusion pen and join the wild population. 

The 2025/26 breeding season was our most successful yet with 10 chicks hatched and cared for at the Zoo prior to their release, giving the tiny wild population an essential boost. 

Read more about tara iti conservation in these stories.