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Endangered New Zealand Birds - Black Stilt - Kids. Threatened species. New Zealand’s lizard-like tuatara once lived throughout New Zealand, but became extinct on the mainland after humans arrived. The species survived on some nearshore islands, but people, dogs, cats and rats soon took their toll. Fortunately, people can also do good: raising tuatara in captivity, and removing predators from the islands. The fate of many threatened species lies in our hands.

Full story by Gerard Hutching and Carl Walrond Main image: Mahoenui giant wētā A quick, easy summary Read the Full Story What is a threatened species? When a species dwindles to very low numbers or lives in just one place in the wild, it is threatened: it may become extinct. Why do species become threatened? It is natural for species to slowly die out. Destroying habitats (e.g. farming, pollution) bringing in weeds and pests over-harvesting (e.g. fish, birds). Human impact in New Zealand New Zealand’s plants and animals evolved free of many predators. Threatened species Saving birds … and other species. New Zealand Plants and Animals. Image by Jon Sullivan Department of Conservation A useful resource that outlines the different aspects of the Department of Conservation with a particularly useful link on native species and what threatens them. Suggested level: intermediate, secondarydoc.govt.nz/conservation/native-animals/birds/ Many Answers To discover information on the home work site Many Answers use the search term plants.

Suggested level: primary, intermediate, sec Native Forests This fact sheet from the Kiwi Conservation Club's website describes the different types of native forest, why our forests are so important and how we can help protect them. Suggested level: primary, intermediatewww.kcc.org.nz/plants/nativeforests.asp Nature watch NZ The Nature watch NZ website is well set out with thumbnail pictures to help guide you through the information provided by Wikipedia on native flora and fauna. Suggested level: sec New Zealand birds online New Zealand Bush. New Zealand's threatened birds: Endangered species vs threatened species.

Is there a difference between threatened and endangered species? Endangered species and threatened species are, to many people, just different ways of describing the same thing — an at-risk plant or animal. For DOC and other scientists the terms mean two different things. We describe our species using the New Zealand Threat Classification System, which uses nationally understood and consistent categories and criteria to assess risk of extinction. In this system, a threatened species is an umbrella term used to describe a range of risk categories, whereas an endangered species is one specific category. New Zealand Threat Classification System categories 'Non-resident native’ is a collective term for species in these categories: 'Data Deficient’ species are so poorly known that we cannot assign them to any of the categories in the system. Criteria for New Zealand threat rankings Primary critera * Predicted and ongoing due to existing threats Text description of primary criteria table: Declining.

New Zealand Birds and Animals - Kids.