White-faced heron
matuku moana · Egretta novaehollandiae
Commonly seen on beaches, tidal flats and damp grass, and often lets you get quite close.
Story
White-faced herons reached New Zealand on their own and established in the 1940s. Numbers grew rapidly from the 1950s, and they are now New Zealand's most common heron, found almost everywhere.
Behaviour
It hunts by walking slowly with long, controlled steps, then striking fast. It eats almost anything: fish, crabs, insects, lizards, even small mammals. Pairs nest high in trees, often pines or macrocarpa.