Welcome to Wrybill Birding Tours, NZ


Want to see albatross like you've never seen them before? Then you'd best contact the New Zealand birding experts! We incorporate five pelagics into our 21-day tours and boast the largest trip lists of any other operator in New Zealand, bar none. But most importantly, we like to have fun, conducting a relaxed and easy-paced tour throughout New Zealand. If you'd like to be a happy Wrybill Birding Tours, NZ traveller then contact us now.

Up-coming tours and news
	Excellent results from our October and November 21-day tours - both Sav and Brent recorded 168 species in each tour. The trip report for Brent's tour is posted now with lots of photos!
	Our 21-day scheduled tours have been filling fast!. However, we do still have limited places on our 23 Jan 2012 tour so contact us now for details.
	Hauraki Gulf pelagics - 10 and 11 December 2011 - tie in with the 2011 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
	Excellent article in 25 Sept 'Sunday Star Times' in which Brent and Sav featured prominantly as rediscoverers of the New Zealand storm-petrel - read it here
	New tour dates for 2012 and 2013 added, and pelagic dates also added - contact us now for details.

Wrybill Birding Tours, NZ.......started out as a couple of birding mates making the decision to setup their own independent bird guiding business. We felt there was a need for real BIRDERS, who were passionate about birding, really knew their New Zealand birds and birding sites inside out, and were based in New Zealand, with access to up to date information on the New Zealand birding scene. Sure we know our natural history as well, but we are BIRDERS, the name says it all! Pelagic birding trips are just one of our specialties, with unrivalled knowledge within New Zealand. Our rediscovery of the supposedly-extinct New Zealand Storm-petrel in 2003, as we were just starting to operate our business, was an amazing sign that we were really doing the right thing. However, we also know our land-birds just as well and know you will enjoy your New Zealand birding experience with us! So here we are.......Sav Saville and Brent Stephenson. Our list of services can be found here, with anything from pre-trip planning advice, to a full North and South Island organised tour (including the Chathams and Stewart Island), and anything in between. As Sav and Brent live in different parts of the North Island, we are also able to offer guided trips around our 'neck-of-the-woods' for one or more days. Trip reports from our pelagics, personal birding trips, and guided trips can be found here. If you are visiting New Zealand, then email us to let us know how we can help.

So why choose us?
We must be doing something right if pelagic experts and overseas field leaders think we do a good job! Check out endorsements from World class birders here and see our testimonials page here. We only operate in New Zealand, choosing to run tours on our home turf where we know things best Our trip lists speak for themselves - during the last two summers our 21-day itineraries have consistently seen over 150 species with Sav setting a record of 165 species in November 2009. Nobody else even comes close! Our 21-day tours are only run by us (Sav & Brent) - we won't fob you off with another guide not even mentioned on our site! We are licensed Department of Conservation concessionaires, permitted to operate on New Zealand's conservation estate. This means some of your fee goes towards ensuring the conservation of the birds you will see. We love getting out and about birding, we are birders through and through - we even go birding on the weekend! Consistently travelling the country to see new birds - see our Rarities section for the things we have discovered, successfully twitched, and (damn it!) unsuccessfully chased. Prominent in the NZ birding scene - Brent started and moderates BIRDING-NZ and is the record holder for the most birds seen in NZ in a calendar year (206 in 2006, see the streaming video here), Sav is the Regional Rep for the OSNZ in his region, and we both regularly contribute to BIRDING-NZ, are featured prominently in Steve Braunias’ 'How to Watch a Bird', and we rediscovered the supposedly 'extinct' New Zealand storm-petrel Plus we love showing New Zealand and its fantastic birds to overseas birders! Read client testimonials here. Do you need any more reasons to email us??


Interested in a 'Virtual tour'? Brent did a virtual tour last year (see that here), and has just started a 21-day tour on 25 October 2011 and is writing daily updates with photos on his Blog. Check it out here

An at sea sighting by Sav and Brent led to the rediscovery of the 'extinct' New Zealand storm-petrel!

Click here for information on the first sighting in 150+ years

Birds captured in the Hauraki Gulf!
Latest info and photos here

Up and coming
	Pelagic trips out of Houhora (Far North & Three Kings), Hauraki Gulf, Whitianga, Stewart Island & the Chatham Islands - register your interest!!
STOP PRESS! We are organising our SIXTH four-day COST SHARE live aboard pelagic from Houhora (Far North) to the Three Kings Islands - dates to be confirmed, but early March 2012. We ran one in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and the BEST EVER in 2011 - what a success!! Reportable rare birds galore - read the trip reports here. At present the trip is FULL - however, we have started a wait-list so let us know if you are interested. Total cost will be around NZ$1300 per person, including all food, etc. and a maximum of seven participants. Dates are a little earlier than the last few years, hopefully allowing us a good mix of sub-tropical species as well as potentially some early northward dispersal of southern breeding species. For more information and to register your interest email us now.
For the schedule of pelagic trips out of New Zealand ports over the next 12 months, check our Pelagics page.

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