The New Zealand Fairy Tern Charitable Trust

Junior Page

NZ Post chose NZFT for their endangered species coin 2012! All proceeds from the TradeMe auction in February will come to the NZFTCTrust!

Read more, click here!

The New Zealand fairy tern's name can be shortened to NZFT.

Did you know that NZFT adults, chicks and eggs in nests are so well camouflaged that you might step on an egg or a chick without even knowing?

Can you find the one-egg nest?

This bird's partner is sitting on their nest. She is so well camouflaged he can hardly find her to give her this fish, can  you?

Pictures and text on this page were kindly donated by PJ Pridham and Rangi Zimmerman who created a wonderful and informative NZFT calendar for 2010. Although out of date, the text and pictures in the remaining calendars are useful for school projects and for learning more about NZ's rarest endemic bird.

Click here to buy a calendar.

Primary School News:

Natasha Jellie from Hill Park Primary School won a speech competition when she spoke about NZ fairy terns! Go Natasha!

                                         AND...

Waipu Primary School held a poster competition to create posters to put on the Waipu Wildlife Refuge to inform summer beach-goers about NZFT. Click here to check these stories!

Did you know?

Camouflage

Newly hatched NZFT chicks are covered in sand coloured down and, when still, look just like a blob of sand.

When they are over a week old, feathers start to appear on their shoulders and back. These pale grey feathers each have a dark strip near the end and orange tips , echoing the colours of the beach.The feathers on the chick in our banner at the top of the page as well as the picture below, show the orange tips.

Photo/PJ Pridham

At about two weeks of age, the crown of the chick's head becomes feathered, vividly russet. With a halo of soft down to break up the outline, this part of their body, when they lie flat and still, could easily be mistaken for a shell. 

Photo/Mark Melville

By three weeks NZFT chicks are feathered enough to begin flying and spend much of their day stretching,flapping and taking airborne hops.

In the pictures above and below, how many colours can you find in the 6 day - old chick that are also found on the beach?

Photo/PJ Pridham

Photo/PJ Pridham

For interesting facts about NZFT, click here