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A unique feature of Christmas in Aotearoa New Zealand is found in our great outdoors. If you like to spend your days outside, you might notice that the Christmas season is the time when native birds are out in full force.
Our birds are particularly extraordinary for a few reasons. Many of them can only be found here, being native or endemic, and some behave in unique ways. As an isolated group of islands, New Zealand has been a bird-dominant land for thousands of years prior to human settlement. The only land mammals were native pekapeka (bats) so the birds of Aotearoa thrived, free from the threat of mammalian predators. Because nature always finds a way, some species filled environmental niches that mammals and grazers would usually do elsewhere. This means that our birds often display mammal-like behaviours or habits and hold vital roles in our ecosystems.
Our Christmas stamps for 2026 showcase some of our unique native manu (birds).
Date of issue: 7 October 2026