Rakiura National Park
🇳🇿 New Zealand
Oceania, New Zealand 244 spp. recorded
Rakiura National Park covers most of Stewart Island, sitting at the southernmost edge of New Zealand. This protected temperate forest reserve features dense podocarp woodland, sprawling coastal scrub, and quiet inlets shaped by isolation. Unlike mainland reserves, this remote island sanctuary offers rare opportunities to watch native wildlife thrive undisturbed in ancient coastal habitats.
-46.810° S 167.853° E
🦜 Nature
127 Species sighted
41,926 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Jan Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
🌙 Most active after dark
+ 148 more species with insufficient data
Recent sightings in Rakiura National Park
LIVEiNaturalistSighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
41Jan
31Feb
29Mar
31Apr
34May
29Jun
27Jul
26Aug
28Sep
37Oct
41Nov
34Dec
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
-
Stewart Island · Oban & Halfmoon Bay
Daily sight. prob.vs avg -
Codfish Island · Sealers Bay Hut & vicinity
-
North Arm Hut
🏕️ Experience
Essentials
Entrance
Free
Tourism
Medium
Typical stay
1–2
daysTrails
Moderate
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 Good
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
2.9
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 177
🐒 Mammals 56
🦎 Reptiles 9
🐸 Amphibians 2
244 Total Species
828 Global average across 316 parks
44 Threatened 59 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
3.3
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
74% 📊
Coverage (66 species at ≥5% of 244 in the inventory)
27% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (11 bird, 1 mammal)
20% 🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
51 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
10 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
18 🏕️
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
3.5
Climate Harsh Low
Entrance Free High
Tourism Medium Medium
Trails Moderate Medium
World Heritage No —
What visitors say
The feeding flocks of Sooty Shearwaters and White Fronted Terns were encountered as soon as we left the harbour.
I had barely recovered from taking one of my favourite photos of the trip when I heard the unmistakable squawking of a mature kiwi.
Rakiura Track day 1: Oban to Potirepo/Port William Next morning, our sprightly march through the forest was abruptly halted when we ran into three fellow travellers who said they’d just seen a kiwi bird, “but I scared it off” said one of them.
Imagine hiking here during wet periods, I’ve seen photos of people waist-deep in mud! (+5)9.08am (+4)9.12am (+12)9.24am (+40)8.04am: Suddenly, I spotted a deer standing right on the track.
Before you go
What animals can you see in Rakiura National Park?
244 species
Rakiura National Park has 244 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Tūī (about 90%), Silver Gull (about 80%), VOC (about 80%), New Zealand Bellbird (about 80%) and New Zealand Kaka (about 80%). Among mammals, the most-seen is New Zealand Sea Lion (about 70%); among reptiles, Southern Skink (about 10%).
When is the best time to visit Rakiura National Park for wildlife?
November to January
In those months the park's 12 most-seen species average about 80% on a given day, against about 70% in February to October.
Can you see a Southern Brown Kiwi in Rakiura National Park?
Yes
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Brown Kiwi sighting in Rakiura National Park on a given day, based on 960 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is April (about 50%).
Can you see a Shy Mollymawk in Rakiura National Park?
Yes
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Shy Mollymawk sighting in Rakiura National Park on a given day, based on 904 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March and November (about 50%).
Can you see a Little Penguin in Rakiura National Park?
Yes
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Little Penguin sighting in Rakiura National Park on a given day, based on 578 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January and November (about 40%).
Can you see a VOC in Rakiura National Park?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a VOC sighting in Rakiura National Park on a given day, based on 2,015 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January and September (about 90%).
Where in Rakiura National Park is wildlife easiest to see?
Around Ulva Island
The richest sighting zone is around Ulva Island, followed by Lee Bay to Maori Beach and Stewart Island · Oban & Halfmoon Bay, ranked by how many of the park's headline animals visitors can expect to see in each. See the zones on the map.
Is Rakiura National Park good for wildlife watching?
3.1 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, Rakiura National Park rates 3.1/5: 269th of 316 parks worldwide and 25th in Oceania. 24 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
