Birds
Birds probably evolved from a tree dwelling reptile and have existed for about 180 million years. There are approximately 9000 species and most of these belong to one order - passiformes (perching birds).
A bird will generally have the following features:
- warm blooded
- feathers covering most of the body
- scaly legs
- usually two feathered wings
- lay eggs with hard shells
- care for helpless off-spring
Birds at Wellington Zoo
- antipodes island parakeet
- australian grey teal
- australian radjah shelduck
- banded rails
- barn owl
- bleeding heart dove
- brolga
- campbell island teal
- cape barren goose
- carolina ducks
- cockatoo (sulphur crested)
- cockatoo (white)
- emerald dove
- emu
- gouldian finch
- greater rhea
- guinea fowl
- himalayan impeyan pheasant
- ibis (glossy)
- ibis (straw necked)
- ibis (sacred)
- kaka
- kereru
- kea
- king parrot
- kingfisher
- kiwi (northern brown)
- kookaburra
- kotuku
- lorikeet (rainbow)
- macaw (blue and gold)
- macaw (red fronted)
- madarin duck
- magpie goose
- nanday conure
- noisy pitta
- nz brown teal
- nz scaup
- nz wood pigeon
- paradise shelduck
- parakeet - peacock
- pelican
- red fronted parakeet (kakariki)
- royal spoonbill
- sun conure
- tawny frogmouth
- white heron (kotuku)
- wonga pigeon
- yellow crowned parakeet (kakariki)
Fish
Fish can be divided into three sub-groups: jaw-less (like lampreys), cartilaginous (like sharks) and bony fish (like carp).
A fish will generally have the following features:
- gill breathing
- cold blooded
- scaly skin
- soft eggs
- bodies have fins (not limbs)
- adults do not care for their young
Fish at Wellington Zoo
- gold fish
- koi carp
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