City
Auckland
🇳🇿 New Zealand
Oceania, New Zealand 157 spp. recorded
Auckland is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf. It is the most populous city of New Zealand and the fifth-most populous city in Oceania. Wikipedia
36.887° S 174.780° E
🦜 Nature
157 Species sighted
118,442 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Jan Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Stoat
Mustela erminea
LC
Common Dolphin
Delphinus delphis
LC
Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
LC
Strap-toothed Whale
Mesoplodon layardii
Shepherd's Beaked Whale
Tasmacetus shepherdi
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Moorish Gecko
Tarentola mauritanica
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
LC
Fallow Deer
Dama dama
NT Endemic
Little Spotted Kiwi
Apteryx owenii
Recent sightings in Auckland
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
-
Ambury Regional Park · Shell Island
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Ambury Regional Park · Viewing Hide shellbank
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Western Springs Lakeside Park
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Ambury Regional Park · Radio Mast Peninsula
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Mangere WTP & mudflats
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Mangere · Traffic Lights Bay
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Mangere WTP · main holding pond
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Mount Eden Domain
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
63Jan
61Feb
60Mar
52Apr
49May
46Jun
45Jul
42Aug
50Sep
56Oct
63Nov
63Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
High
Protected land
0.0%
Protected sea
0.8%
Protected areas
22
areasWildlife spots
12
spotsZoos & centres
4
placesClimate
Oceanic
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 Excellent
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
3.6
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 272
🐒 Mammals 62
🦎 Reptiles 24
🐸 Amphibians 4
362 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
56 Threatened 43 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
4.0
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
68% 📊
Coverage (63 species at ≥5% of 362 in the inventory)
17% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (12 bird)
0% 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
1 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
19 🏕️
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
4.0
Climate Mixed Medium
Green cover High High
Protected land & sea 0.0% land · 0.8% sea Low
Protected areas 22 High
Wildlife spots 12 High
Zoos & centres 4 High
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Auckland?
157 species
Auckland's urban area has 157 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are House Sparrow (about 90%), Eurasian Blackbird (about 90%), Tūī (about 70%), Welcome Swallow (about 70%) and Dominican Gull (about 70%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Common Hedgehog (about 30%); among reptiles, Delicate Skink (about 50%); among amphibians, Green-and-Golden Bell Frog (about 20%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Auckland?
March and May–December
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 60% in January–February and April.
Can you see a Tūī in Auckland?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Tūī sighting in Auckland on a given day, based on 6,127 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is May and August–December (about 80%).
Can you see a New Zealand Fantail in Auckland?
Yes
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Fantail sighting in Auckland on a given day, based on 3,524 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is May (about 70%).
Can you see a Welcome Swallow in Auckland?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Welcome Swallow sighting in Auckland on a given day, based on 4,975 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is July and October–January (about 80%).
Where in Auckland is wildlife easiest to see?
Ambury Regional Park · Shell Island
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is Ambury Regional Park · Shell Island (70 bird species recorded), followed by Ambury Regional Park and Ambury Regional Park · Viewing Hide shellbank. See them on the map.
Is Auckland good for wildlife watching?
3.9 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Auckland gets 3.9/5: 261st of 380 cities worldwide and 5th in Oceania. 21 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
Nearest Cities
Nearest Parks
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Nearest Zoos & Centres
Sources: urban area GHSL Urban Centre Database R2024A, European Commission JRC (CC BY 4.0) · protected land WDPA, UNEP-WCMC & IUCN (via GHSL) · climate NASA POWER · wildlife GBIF.org citizen-science data