Project partners

Te Papa

Te Papa is New Zealand's national museum. A crown entity established under the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Act 1992, Te Papa is governed by a Board, and is accountable to Parliament through the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage.

Te Papa led the website development project, including employing the project manager and editor, and providing website development support from Te Papa webteam members. Te Papa staff contributed 95 species texts and 1071 images, and a further 245 images of specimens and artworks held by Te Papa were loaded and linked to Te Papa's 'Collections Online' website. Te Papa will host the New Zealand Birds Online website on its server for at least the first 5 years, and will continue to provide project management, coordination and oversight, and information technology support to maintain the website. Te Papa will also contribute to managing content updates (see under OSNZ below), and will take the lead in website developments, and the development of any products derived from the website.

The Ornithological Society of New Zealand (Inc.)

OSNZ is a nation-wide study group with individual members or groups working on different aspects of ornithology as suits their interests or circumstances and all contributing to the sum of ornithological knowledge. The aims and objective of the Society are to:

  1. encourage, organise and promote the study of birds and their habitat use particularly within the New Zealand region.

  2. foster and support the wider knowledge and enjoyment of birds generally.

  3. promote the recording and wide circulation of the results of bird studies and observations.

  4. produce a journal and any other publication containing matters of ornithological interest.

  5. effect co-operation and exchange of information with other organisations having similar aims and objects.

  6. assist the conservation and management of birds by providing information, from which sound management decisions can be derived.

  7. maintain a library of ornithological literature for the use of members and to promote a wider knowledge of birds.

  8. promote the archiving of observations, studies and records of birds particularly in the New Zealand region.

  9. carry out any other activity which is capable of being conveniently carried out in connection with the above objects, or which directly or indirectly advances those objects or any of them.

The Ornithological Society of New Zealand took the lead in encouraging members (and other people interested in New Zealand birds) to contribute text and images for the website. OSNZ will undertake to form a team to manage the content on the website after it is launched, including submission of new images and sound files and updated texts, responding to feedback on website errors or omissions, and managing requests for use of images and other intellectual property provided on the website. OSNZ will also continue to encourage members to provide further or new images, sound files and other information to the website. OSNZ will explore ways to link other OSNZ data systems (e.g. Records Appraisal Committee decisions, and Checklist Committee decisions) to the New Zealand Birds Online website.

The Department of Conservation

DOC is the central government agency responsible for promoting the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage on behalf of, and for the benefit of, present and future New Zealanders. 

The Department of Conservation has provided digital copies of selected images of New Zealand birds for which DOC holds copyright. DOC will undertake to provide topical bird conservation news and reports to the website, and will encourage DOC staff to contribute images that complement or improve on those already on the website. DOC will also ensure that changes in bird conservation rankings are provided promptly to the website managers, and will investigate whether this can be achieved through automatic updating processes.

 Financial assistance towards the preparation of this website has been provided by the Terrestrial and Freshwater Information System (TFBIS) Programme. The TFBIS Programme is funded by the Government to help to achieve the goals of the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy, and is administered by the Department of Conservation.