Warou
Welcome Swallow
Hirundo tahitica neoxena
Their Story
While welcome swallows (warou) were first reported in New Zealand in the 1920s, they didn’t become firmly established until the 1950s and 60s. Like silvereyes, they are self-introduced from Australia — likely blown across the Tasman by storms — and are now considered native and protected.
Today, warou are widespread across Aotearoa. Entirely insectivorous, they are most often seen near water, where they swoop and glide gracefully to catch flying insects — sometimes even skimming just below the surface. Their exceptional manoeuvrability comes from their slender, triangular wings and long, forked tails.
The welcome swallow is a striking little bird with a glossy dark-blue back, white belly, and chestnut face and bib. Males and females look alike. Breeding runs from August to February, with courtship displays that include chasing, tail-fanning, and bill-touching.
Pairs build nests from mud reinforced with grass and lined with feathers, wool and plant fibres. Nests are attached to natural or manmade structures such as cliffs, bridges, buildings, or under eaves. The female alone broods the eggs, but both parents feed the chicks. Each breeding season, a pair may raise up to three clutches, each containing 2–7 pink, brown-speckled eggs.
In winter, warou often gather in flocks, moving opportunistically in search of food rather than following fixed migratory routes. They are a familiar and welcome sight around the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary Visitor Centre, darting over the stream and car park in the evening light.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
A self-introduced native species now common throughout New Zealand.
Population
Widespread across the country in open habitats near water, including wetlands, rivers, and farmland. Common around the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary Visitor Centre.
Voice
Soft twittering and chattering calls, often heard during flight or while perched together in small flocks.
Food
Feeds entirely on flying insects, often caught in mid-air or just above the surface of water.
Warou are small birds with glossy dark-blue upperparts, white underparts, and rich chestnut colouring on the face and throat. Their long, deeply forked tails and pointed wings make them unmistakable in flight. Males and females look alike, and juveniles appear duller with shorter tails.
Agile and acrobatic, warou feed exclusively on flying insects, catching them mid-air with quick swoops, glides, and dives — sometimes skimming low over water to snatch prey. Their flight patterns are smooth and graceful, aided by their slender wings and aerodynamic bodies. In winter, they form small flocks and move opportunistically in search of insects.
Breeding runs from August to March. Pairs engage in courtship displays involving tail-fanning, chasing, and gentle bill-touching. Nests are made of mud reinforced with grass and lined with feathers, wool, and plant fibres, typically attached to cliffs, bridges, buildings, or sheltered structures. The female incubates 2–7 pink, brown-speckled eggs for about 17 days. Both parents feed the chicks, which fledge after around 20 days. Pairs may raise up to three broods per season.
Originally from Australia, warou first established in Aotearoa during the 1950s and 60s, likely blown across the Tasman by storms. They are now widespread throughout New Zealand, inhabiting open areas near water, farmlands, coasts, and urban spaces. At the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary, they are often seen above the stream, particularly in the lower valley.
Warou are classified as Not Threatened and continue to expand their range. Their adaptability and close association with human environments contribute to their success across Aotearoa.
Warou are a regular presence around the Sanctuary’s waterways and visitor facilities. Their aerial agility and constant movement add a lively dimension to the valley’s birdlife. These birds are one of many ‘native’ birds that have been able to establish in New Zealand due to the loss of endemic species and the modification of our environment.
🪶 The name warou derives from Polynesian languages and is shared with several swallow species across the Pacific, reflecting their widespread, migratory nature.
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🪶 Ngahere Neighbourhood: piriwai (spiny gilled mayfly)
Tiny, ancient, and found only in Aotearoa — the spiny gilled mayfly (Coloburiscus humeralis) spends up to four years underwater before living just a few days as an adult.
Piriwai can only survive in clean, fast-flowing streams. Its larvae cling to river rocks, filtering food from the water with tiny hair-like gills. They are an important sign of healthy freshwater ecosystems, so much so that this species gets a rating of 8-9 on the sensitivity/stream health rating. All native stream macroinvertebrates are ranked in terms of their sensitivity and used as a bioindicator of stream health.
The Sanctuary stream is a reference site for stream health and represents a `pure`, unadulterated site and thus is highly diverse in sensitive stream invertebrates.
📸 Photo: Taken by Henry Hart here at the Sanctuary
#NgahereNeighbourhood #BrookSanctuary #AotearoaNature #FreshwaterLife #NelsonTasman #Conservation #Piriwai
Feb 17
Their Raucous Call Returns: Kākā Set to Reclaim the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary. 🦜
This March, we’re scheduled to welcome two male and one female kākā fledglings from the Dunedin Botanic Garden kākā breeding programme. There’s also the potential for a further four birds to arrive in May.
Kākā are unique to Aotearoa and are nationally vulnerable, with populations heavily impacted by introduced predators. Releasing them into a pest-free sanctuary with ideal habitat (old growth beech forest) gives them the best chance to thrive.
This release will build on years of species translocations as part of the Sanctuary’s ambitious ecosystem restoration efforts, including:
🏠 Kākāriki karaka in 2021
🏠 Powelliphanta hochstetteri consobrina (giant snails) in 2021
🏠 Tuatara in November 2024 and May 2025
🏠 Kiwi in May 2025
Over the coming weeks, our team will be busy planning and preparing for this important translocation. We’ll share more details on timing and what to expect closer to the date.
Thank you to our community of donors, volunteers, business supporters, and Sanctuary Members for continuing to back the Sanctuary — your support is vital to every species return. We can’t wait to celebrate this next milestone with you.
#BrookWaimāramaSanctuary #Kākā #ConservationNZ #NelsonNZ #PredatorFree #NativeWildlife #Biodiversity
Feb 10
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
