Pīwakawaka
South Island Fantail
Rhipidura fuliginosa fuliginosa
Their Story
It’s rare to walk through the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary without being joined by a cheerful pīwakawaka (fantail). Common though they are, their friendly curiosity and acrobatic flight never fail to charm visitors.
Fantails belong to the genus Rhipidura, found throughout Southeast Asia and the Antipodes. New Zealand has one species, Rhipidura fuliginosa, with four subspecies: the North Island fantail, the South Island fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa fuliginosa), the Chatham Island fantail, and the extinct Lord Howe Island fantail. The South Island birds are slightly darker — the name fuliginosa means “sooty.” Black fantails are not a separate subspecies but a colour variation, found most often in the South Island where they make up about 5% of the population.
Pīwakawaka are widespread in both native and exotic forests, scrublands, orchards, and urban gardens. They do not cope well with cold winters and are uncommon in areas with snow or severe frost. South Island fantails typically live for only 1–2 years, compared to 5 years for North Island birds and up to 15 years for Australia’s willy wagtails. Nesting adults, eggs, and chicks are vulnerable to predation, especially from ship rats which can climb to their nests.
Fantails are prolific breeders. Pairs may raise up to three clutches of 3–5 eggs per season, remaining together year-round, though high winter mortality often forces survivors to find new mates. Nesting begins in late August. South Island males help build the nest — a neat circular cup woven between slender branches with a trailing tail of material below. Both parents incubate the eggs for about 13 days, and chicks fledge at 12–14 days old. Females often start building a new nest before the chicks fledge, leaving the male to feed them — up to 100 feeds per day.
Constantly active, pīwakawaka are insectivorous, feeding on moths, flies, spiders, wasps and beetles. They use several foraging techniques:
Hawking: darting through the air to catch flying insects.
Flushing: flitting through dense bush, fanning their tails to disturb insects from foliage.
Feeding associations: following other birds, people, or animals to catch insects they stir up.
They are also often seen plucking insects from the undersides of fern fronds and will occasionally eat fruit.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
Common and widespread throughout New Zealand.
Population
Found across the country in a variety of habitats including native and exotic forest, farmland, orchards, and gardens. Particularly abundant within the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary.
Voice
A sharp, chattering “cheet-cheet” and varied calls of chirps and squeaks. Their constant twittering and tail-fanning make them easy to spot.
Food
Insectivorous, feeding mainly on moths, flies, spiders, wasps, and beetles. Occasionally eats fruit.
Small, agile birds with a distinctive black and white fan-shaped tail, dark upperparts, and pale underparts. South Island pīwakawaka (R. f. fuliginosa) are slightly darker — their name means “sooty.” Black morph fantails, found mainly in the South Island, are not a separate subspecies but a colour variation, making up around 5% of the population.
Pīwakawaka are expert insect hunters, feeding mainly on moths, flies, beetles, wasps, and spiders. They use several hunting techniques:
- Hawking: darting through large swarms of flying insects.
- Flushing: fanning their tails to dislodge and disturb insects from leaves.
- Feeding associations: following people, animals, or other birds to catch disturbed prey.
Fantails are prolific breeders, raising up to three clutches of three to five eggs per season. Breeding begins in late August. Males help build neat, cup-shaped nests woven between slender branches. Both parents share incubation (about 14 days) and feeding, though females often start new nests before chicks fledge, leaving males to care for fledglings — feeding them up to 100 times per day. South Island fantails typically live only one to two years, compared to five years in the North Island.
Pīwakawaka are widespread throughout Aotearoa, inhabiting forests, scrublands and many modified habitats. They are less common in colder alpine regions and areas with heavy frost. Within the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary, they thrive along forest tracks, glades, and waterways, where insect life is abundant.
Classified as Not Threatened, pīwakawaka populations remain stable. Nests can be vulnerable to ship rats. Harsh winters will reduce populations, however this species bounces back quickly. Their resilience, adaptability, and high reproductive rate help them quickly recover when conditions improve.
Even before pest eradication, pīwakawaka have been a defining presence in the Sanctuary. It is likely however, that this endemic species will decline in the Sanctuary as other endemic species increase or are reintroduced. Some of these species will form associations with fantails in mixed winter feeding flocks, like kākāriki, mohua and pīpipi.
🪶 Pīwakawaka can change direction mid-flight faster than any other New Zealand bird — allowing them to better catch insects on the wing.
Our other residents
Check out some of the other incredible wildlife that call the Sanctuary home
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Win prizes for your best summer photo at the Sanctuary 📸🏆☀️
This season, we want to see the Sanctuary through your lens — the bright light through the canopy, the textures of the forest floor, and the tiny details that make summer feel alive.
Enter our Summer Photography Competition (part of our Sanctuary Seasons series) and you could win:
🏆 Instant camera (Junior Photography winner)
🌙 Family ticket to a guided night tour
📰 Feature in our newsletter + social media
🖼️ Printed display at the Visitor Centre
📅 Entries close 28 February - Submit your entries via our website: Link in bio
Photo credit: Helen Power - Entry from the spring photography competition
#BrookWaimāramaSanctuary #SanctuarySeasons #Ngahere #NaturePhotography #NZWildlife #NelsonTasman #VisitNelson #NZHikes #EcoTourismNZ #ConservationStorytelling
Feb 4
Looking for a unique and memorable date night? 🌙🌲
This February, we’re introducing Date Me Darling — private, curated date nights inside the Sanctuary at dusk.
Three styled locations. One couple at a time. You’ll have a styled spot along the main loop track, locally sourced food and drinks, a few games to share, and time to slow down together as the forest shifts into evening.
Beech Glade: for when you want the world to fall away — deeply hidden, totally private, just you and the hush of the forest.
River: crystal clear water, canopy above, flickering lights — the kind of setup you usually only see on Instagram.
Meadow: open sky, long grass, and the forest standing quietly at the edges like it knows not to interrupt.
Bookings are open now (limited spaces in February only so don’t miss out!): Link in bio
#DateMeDarling #NelsonNZ #NelsonTasman #ThingsToDoNelson #DateNightIdeas #NatureLovers #SupportLocalNZ #ConservationNZ #BrookWaimāramaSanctuary
Feb 3
Two cute to be true?
Brook Waimārama Sanctuary and @savethekiwinz teams have been busy over the past few days tracking and recapturing kiwi to remove their transmitters. Thanks to a huge team effort, all ten males were recaptured within just three days.
Some nest burrows held a surprise or two — in several cases a female was present, and a couple even contained chicks. One burrow amazed us all, with not one but two adorable chicks 😍
All chicks are fully independent at this stage of the season, and after quick health checks and transmitter removal, all adult kiwi were safely returned to their burrows.
This special footage was captured by kiwi handler Tamsin from Save the Kiwi, who led the transmitter removal mahi.
We estimate the 20 females and 21 males released in May last year have already produced around 10–15 kiwi pukupuku (little spotted kiwi) chicks in their very first breeding season — a strong sign the habitat is just right.
With transmitters now removed from all ten males, the kiwi are completely free, with no further handling needed. Annual kiwi call counts by staff and volunteers will help track the growing population across our 690 ha, ring-fenced, pest-free sanctuary.
Credit: Video courtesy of Tamsin Ward-Smith, Save the Kiwi
Thanks to our partnership with @terunangaotoa Ngati Toa and Save the Kiwi
#kiwipukupuku #littlespottedkiwi #brookwaimaramasanctuary #nelson #thetopofthesouth #conservation #biodiversity #nativebirds #natureloversnz #newzealandwildlife #pestfree #ringfencedsanctuary #conservationinaction
Jan 29
🎻 45 min string quartet concert at Brook Waimārama Sanctuary
Come and hear a dynamic young string quartet perform a 45 min concert at Brook Waimārama Sanctuary. We welcome everyone to come along, and bring anyone you think might be curious to hear some classical music in a relaxed environment.
The @antipodes.quartet is part of the Fellowship Ensemble Programme, a joint venture between the @adamchambermusicfestival, @newzealandstringquartet and @chambermusicnz, as a career-development experience offered to four of this country’s most promising young string players.
The Antipodes Quartet are Eden Annesley (violin), Mana Waiariki (violin), Tal Amoore (viola) and Lavinnia Rae (cello).
On this occasion, Brook Waimārama Sanctuary are welcoming everyone at local prices: Adult $15, Child $9; Family $35 (on the door)
Find out more: (Link in bio)
#BrookWaimāramaSanctuary #NelsonNZ #Whakatū #WhatsonNelson #NelsonTasman #LiveMusicNZ #ChamberMusicNZ #StringQuartet #ClassicalMusicNZ #AdamChamberMusicFestival #NewZealandStringQuartet #ChamberMusicNewZealand #FamilyFriendly #NatureAndCulture #SupportLocalArts
Jan 27
2026 Bug of the year is here!
The lesser known cousin to bird of the year has come around(wait till they hear about fish or fungus of the year). This showdown aims to highlight the critters that go underappreciated compared to celebrity species like kākāpō. We would like to highlight the strange and wonderful species that occur within the Sanctuary, with the hopes to earn your vote!
Kahuwai | Black Tunnelweb Spider
Porrhothele antipodiana
I have a mixed history with this incredible spider. One hairy individual decided that my jersey pocket was a great place to set up shop. It received a rude awakening upon the home invasion of my unaware hand. Its brilliant fangs pierced and invenomated my finger, and despite the swelling and the shock and the pain… I couldn’t help but feel bad for evicting the guy. Its hobbit-like hole dwelling nature led the spider to my soft, warm pocket. Ironically, but not surprisingly, this species was the inspiration for Peter Jackson’s ‘Shelob’ in the Lord of the Rings films.
Kahuwai, the black tunnelweb spider, forms dense sheets of silk surrounding their tunnels. These sheets are monitored by the spider, who detects vibrations of a passer by. Wētā, land hoppers and any other unlucky invertebrate. The kahuwai swiftly grabs its prey and drags it into the depths. This spider however is also the victim of the endemic golden hunter wasp, who paralyses the spider before dragging it into the wasp’s nest (talk about shoes on the other foot!) and laying an egg beside it. The spider then becomes baby formula.
Despite the bite, this amazing spider has my vote! Check out the New Zealand Bug Of the Year 2026 website! Voting closes on the 16th of February!
Photo: @henry._.hart (in the second image of Shelob`s lair you can see a giant pill millipede has fallen victim...)
#BrookWaimāramaSanctuary #BugOfTheYear
Jan 25
2026 Bug of the year is here!
The lesser known cousin to bird of the year has come around(wait till they hear about fish or fungus of the year). This showdown aims to highlight the critters that go underappreciated compared to celebrity species like kākāpō. We would like to highlight the strange and wonderful species that occur within the Sanctuary, with the hopes to earn your vote!
This candidate is the beautifully disguised Rō, the Two-Spined Stick Insect. Micrachus hystriculeus is endemic to central Aotearoa, most common from Nelson, through Marlborough and Wellington. Stick insects display a classic example of crypsis. That is, their behaviour and physiology work in tandem to remain completely undetected and unharmed. They feed on leaves high in the canopy of trees like kānuka. At night you can often spot them, usually with the small males riding on the backs of the much larger females.
All modern New Zealand stick insects are the relatives of two colonisation events from New Caledonia around 30 million years ago. They radiated into nine separate genera and dispersed into coastal, lowland and subalpine ecosystems throughout the motu. This species, alongside at least five other stick insect species, live out their slow and sticky lives within the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary.
Will you vote for Micrachus hystriculeus? Check out the New Zealand Bug Of the Year 2026 website! Voting closes on the 16th of February!
Stay tuned for our last candidate…
Photo: Saryu Mae - @invertebratist
#BrookWaimāramaSanctuary #BugOfTheYear
Jan 24
