Arthur's Pass National Park
🇳🇿 New Zealand
Oceania, New Zealand 192 spp. recorded
Arthur's Pass National Park sits in the heart of New Zealand's rugged Southern Alps, protecting a dramatic landscape of steep mountain passes, rocky riverbeds, and high-altitude grassland. This alpine terrain differs from coastal reserves through its harsh weather and dramatic elevation changes, creating an exposed, windswept environment shaped by jagged peaks and sweeping valleys rather than dense lowland forest.
-42.859° S 171.821° E
🦜 Nature
67 Species sighted
18,224 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Dec Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
+ 128 more species with insufficient data
Recent sightings in Arthur's Pass National Park
LIVEiNaturalistSighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
25Jan
24Feb
23Mar
19Apr
19May
17Jun
14Jul
19Aug
19Sep
17Oct
22Nov
30Dec
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
🏕️ Experience
Essentials
Entrance
Free
Tourism
High
Typical stay
1–2
daysTrails
Hard
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 Moderate
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
2.1
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 167
🐒 Mammals 15
🦎 Reptiles 8
🐸 Amphibians 2
192 Total Species
828 Global average across 316 parks
32 Threatened 40 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
2.8
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
74% 📊
Coverage (49 species at ≥5% of 192 in the inventory)
26% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (12 bird)
0% 🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
38 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
4 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
16 🏕️
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
2.8
Climate Harsh Low
Entrance Free High
Tourism High Low
Trails Hard Low
World Heritage No —
What visitors say
I managed to arrive in Hawdon in reasonable time, and once I put my tent up I had a walk around but only found Song Thrush and Yellowhammer.
A bridge across the river took us into better looking habitat but the weather was against us and the only birds I encountered were 2 Dunnocks and a Redpoll on our way back.
I was so privileged to be able to stay at my friend Chloe’s cabin in Arthur’s Pass National Park for a long weekend.
Although there was some rain en route, Arthur's Pass was cloudy but dry, and we walked to a couple of waterfalls.
Before you go
What animals can you see in Arthur's Pass National Park?
192 species
Arthur's Pass National Park has 192 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are New Zealand Bellbird (about 90%), Miromiro (about 90%), Grey Warbler (about 90%), Chaffinch (about 90%) and Eurasian Blackbird (about 80%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Common Brushtail (about 30%); among reptiles, Common New Zealand Skink (about 20%).
When is the best time to visit Arthur's Pass National Park for wildlife?
February, August and December
In those months the park's 12 most-seen species average about 80% on a given day, against about 50% in July.
Can you see a Kea in Arthur's Pass National Park?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Kea sighting in Arthur's Pass National Park on a given day, based on 1,582 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is May and October–November (about 80%).
Can you see a South Island Robin in Arthur's Pass National Park?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a South Island Robin sighting in Arthur's Pass National Park on a given day, based on 1,306 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February (about 90%).
Can you see a New Zealand Fantail in Arthur's Pass National Park?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Fantail sighting in Arthur's Pass National Park on a given day, based on 850 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March (about 90%).
Can you see a New Zealand Bellbird in Arthur's Pass National Park?
Yes
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Bellbird sighting in Arthur's Pass National Park on a given day, based on 1,518 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March, June and December (over 90%).
Where in Arthur's Pass National Park is wildlife easiest to see?
Around Hawdon Shelter
The richest sighting zone is around Hawdon Shelter, followed by Arthur's Pass Village and Cass, ranked by how many of the park's headline animals visitors can expect to see in each. See the zones on the map.
Is Arthur's Pass National Park good for wildlife watching?
2.5 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, Arthur's Pass National Park rates 2.5/5: 313th of 316 parks worldwide and 28th in Oceania. 16 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
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