2026 NZ Bird Conference & AGM, Wānaka

[Michael Szabo]

The 2026 Birds New Zealand Conference & AGM will be held in Wānaka, Otago over King’s Birthday weekend with scientific presentations on Saturday 30th May and Sunday 31st May, followed by the AGM. Members are eligible for the early bird discount registration at $290 until 31st March then at $350 from 1st April to 15th May. The price for non-members is $475 until registrations close on 15th May. Each field trip has a different price, starting at $45.

All conference options and online registration can be found here: https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/nz-bird-conference-2026/

You can join Birds New Zealand here: https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/membership/join-now/

[Michael Szabo]

The plenary speakers for the Birds New Zealand 2026 annual conference to be held in Wānaka on King's Birthday weekend (30 May-1 June) will be Hoani Langsbury and Paul Kavanagh. Hoani Langsbury will also open the conference with a Mihi / Karakia.

Hoani Langsbury (Ngaio House – Ecologist, Ōtākou. Kāi Tahu, Kati Mamoe, Waitaha, Rapuwai, Kati Hawea) has served in roles including Chair of the Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Trust, Governor of the Yellow eyed Penguin Trust, a member of Te Rōpū Weka, and a past member of the Hoiho and Kākī Recovery Groups. He will speak about a Te Ao Māori approach to ecological and conservation management through a practitioner's lens.

Paul Kavanagh will speak about integrating technology with grassroots conservation in the context of the Southern Lakes Sanctuary, a collaborative conservation consortium that is deploying cutting-edge technology across the Queenstown Lakes District to protect 36 threatened vertebrate species through boots-on-the-ground hard work and transformative technology. He will describe how this highly innovative initiative offers a scalable, replicable model that can reverse biodiversity loss at a landscape scale.

There will be more than 30 presentations and talks on a wide range of bird species and research with opportunities to ask questions and attend workshops. Over 200 people are expected to attend.

Early bird discount registration ends on Tuesday 31 March. All registrations close on 15 May.

Conference details and registration:
[https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/nz-bird-conference-2025/]

You can join Birds New Zealand online here:
[https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/membership/join-now/]

[Michael Szabo]

The 2026 Birds New Zealand Conference & AGM will be held in Wānaka, Otago over King’s Birthday weekend with scientific presentations on Saturday 30th May and Sunday 31st May, followed by the AGM. The cost for members is $350 from until registration closes on 15th May. The price for non-members is $475. Each field trip option has a different price, starting at $45.

All conference options and online registration can be found here: https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/nz-bird-conference-2026/

To qualify for the lower member rate, you can join Birds New Zealand here: https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/membership/join-now/

SPECIAL OFFER: If you join Birds New Zealand you will receive a free copy of 'New Zealand Seabirds - a natural history' by Kerry-Jayne Wilson, published in 2021 and valued at $50, including over 100 colour photos and maps (while stock last, excl. overseas and family subscriptions).

Birds New Zealand membership includes:
Our quarterly 'Birds New Zealand' A4 colour magazine and acclaimed scientific journal, 'Notornis'
Occasional special editions of 'Notornis' and discounts on books about birds
Opportunities to take part in field trips and surveys, hear speakers at branch meetings, and improve your ornithology and birding skills
Free Birds New Zealand branded sticker and lens cloth
Discounted registration for the annual Birds New Zealand Conference (Wanaka, King's Birthday weekend, 30 May-1 June 2026)