Wrybill Birding Tours, NZ: Itineraries

Take a look below to see comments from some of our happy clients...

'An excellent birding trip to NZ was had with Wrybill Tours led by Sav Saville. All of the available endemics (including 4 species of Kiwi's) were seen well in a thoroughly professional yet relaxed manner. Unbelieveable views of seabirds including 10 NZ storm petrels. - Highly recommended.' - Mel & Heather Billington, Norfolk, UK

'With "Wrybill" birders are birding often on the brink of extinction with so many endemics and endangered birds on offer. We were able to see all the available endemics on this trip plus fantastic pelagics seeing at close quarters NZ Stormy, 4 species of Kiwi with a 5th heard, and great food, drink and accommodation. Wrybill offer birding to suit most budgets and itineraries either for 3 weeks or just a few days. We would recommend Wrybill to any birders, they are clearly the best NZ Birding Tour operators!' - Roger Broadbent, UK

'Recommended for the seasoned veteran as well as the budding rookie birder. I'm definitely a member of the latter group. I'll go out birding with my wife and others, but I often have trouble viewing the birds as well as others and can rarely identify anything. Sav's trip was much better than I'd expected. He's a master at finding the different bird species and makes sure that everyone in the group gets a good look at the birds he's found. And the trip wasn't "birds, birds, birds" 24 hours a day. Every place we went there was a chance to enjoy New Zealand's magnificent scenery and to learn something about the history of this amazing island country. I came away from the trip with an enhanced appreciation for birding as well as a deep respect for those who have taken up this activity. If you get a chance, don't miss this tour -- you'll never regret it.' - Randy Falzgraf, Bellevue, Nebraska, USA

'I had the great pleasure of spending a month birding New Zealand in November and December, 2007. I felt privileged to have Sav Saville as a guide. His knowledge of New Zealand’s birds is unmatched. And his ability to show them utilizing his “ten foot rule” is amazing. This is to say, you’ll see most birds within a range of ten feet!
As wonderful as these skills are, I was also very impressed by Sav’s logistical skills. Our trip was well-planned and thought out. But never rigid, Sav was able to deviate from our schedule when a good bird showed up.
Acting as our driver also, our group was constantly entertained by endless tales recounted by a master entertainer.
Sav worked hard to show our group the birds of New Zealand. In fact, our group set a trip list record of 158. This simply wouldn’t have happened without his effort.
I am personally grateful to Sav for his work with our group and would strongly recommend him to anyone seeking a premiere experience in New Zealand.' - Dr. Ken Lowder, Iowa City, IA. USA

'We just finished three of the best weeks that I have ever spent, birding all of New Zealand with Sav. Every aspect of the trip was organized to the fullest, so all of our time could be spent birding. As a result, we set a new record of 158 species seen in a three week period. Sav is extremely knowledgeable about all of New Zealand and the birds there, especially the pelagic birds. Were I to take another trip to NZ, I'd go with Sav. "Nuff" said!!!' - Al Reyer, Bellevue, NE, USA

'Several years ago, I made it my goal to find every bird family. Because I was getting very close, it was with particular care and diligent research that I chose Wrybill Birding Tours, NZ to help me with my quest. New Zealand was to bring me down to three bird families to go. There could not have been a better decision. Brent and Sav are professional, dedicated, excellent birders. They know every nook and cranny of New Zealand and just never gave up. We spent 21 days seeing everything we could have hoped to see and more. I especially appreciated the amount of time that both Brent and Sav spent teaching us about the birds, especially on the pelagic trips we took. I learned so much! It is my firm belief that our group was so very fortunate to have birded with the two best birders, and had so much fun along the way. I have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending Wrybill and hope to be back again.' - Janet M. Castle, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

'We not only saw the birds we had hoped to, we saw them very well.' - Gordon and Maxine McLean, Ottawa, Canada

'Thank you Sav for one of the best holidays I have had - great birds and scenery and as for the weather!' - Rosemary Davidson, Melbourne, Australia

'The best birding trip I've ever had - the birds, the scenery and amazing value for money. Sav's in-depth kowledge of where to find the birds was superb. A totally unforgettable experience.' - Tania Ireton, Melbourne, Australia

'We just spent 18 days with WBT and saw nearly every possible species in NZ. Brent and Sav were great leaders - so knowledgeable and so much fun to be with. Choosing Wrybill was the right decision and we will recommend them to all our friends. Thanks so much.' - Jean Martin, Texas, USA; Karen McBride, Arizona, USA

'We enjoyed our week with Brent very much. He is a superior birder.' - Barry Miller and Michelle Stewart, Maryland, USA

'Excellent experience with a professional birder and photographer. Brent is also concerned about the welfare of the birds and environment. Definitely will recommend to others.' - Dr Chong Cher Cheong (Wilson), Singapore

'My husband and I are amateur and inexperienced birders. Brent was able to give us a fun and educational tour that made us want to learn more. I recommend his services for anyone from beginner to enthusiast, to scholar.' - Irene Silber and Steven Ruce, Minnesota, USA

'My experience with Wrybill Tours was nothing but positive. The two days of guided birding were a huge success, and your itinerary reflected your up-to-the-minute knowledge of the nation's birding scene. Thank you for devising the perfect trip for my particular birding style.' - Nick Bonomo, USA

'Well done, guys! Our tour was professionally run and the bird finding and knowledge of the birds was excellent. Brent was a joy to bird with and loads of fun to boot!' - Ron Hoff and Dollyann Myers, Tennessee, USA

'Due to limitions on birding time during my vacation in NZ, I contacted Wrybill Birding Tours to assist me on a dedicated days birding in the Napier area of the North Island. Brent accompanied me on the day and took me to places I wouldn't have even considered. Our day was from estuary to inland forest where his valued identification experience and local knowledge contributed to a most successful and exciting day which included 20 endemic species.' - Peter Twist, Cheshire, UK

'We were very pleased and impressed with your level of expertise and also liked that we could take our time.'

'You located lots of birds, brought many of them right to us for easy viewing, are extremely knowledgeable about local places to find them, were resourceful about finding them, you were fun and interesting and easy to be with'

'Starting the trip out with your guidance gave us a strong base and the confidence to go out and bird on our own, which was very helpful.'

- Michael Rogers and Wendy Yellen, Ribera, NM and Nagano, Japan