The Port Hills

Wildlife

The native remnants of bush on the Port Hills are home to some of our native birds. Many of the native birds visiting city gardens in the winter come from the Port Hills forest areas. The clear notes of the bellbird (korimako or koparara) can be heard in the bush during the summer months. Fantail, silvereye, grey warbler, shining cuckoo and a few South Island tomtits are commonly seen and heard in the bush. The New Zealand wood pigeon (kukupa or kereru) is the largest berry-eating bird in New Zealand and an important seed-disperser for many native plants. The wood pigeon can often be seen when walking through the bush areas. The most common birds seen on the Port Hills are introduced, such as the blackbird, chaffinch and thrush.

A large range of native insects occupy the Port Hills forest areas, while gecko and skink species are commonly found.

Plant life

The contrasting sheltered valleys and exposed windswept hillsides provide a range of growing conditions for a wide variety of plants. Local endemic plants found only on Banks Peninsula and nowhere else in the world such as: Banks Peninsula hebe, Banks Peninsula blue tussock and Hebe strictissima, inhabit rock crevices on the outcrops along with other plants and rare ferns. Silver tussock and grasses cover the northern slopes of the Port Hills. Extensive areas of short tussock grassland close to metropolitan areas are rare worldwide.

Remnant pockets of podocarp forest shelter 500-600 year old matai, totara and kahikatea trees and regenerating seedlings. A diverse range of fruit and flowering hardwood species including kowhai, lancebacks, ribbonwoods, mahoe, five finger, cabbage trees, kanuka, fuchsia and many shrub species thrive in these remnants. Many areas of vegetation are continually changing as fire, extreme drought, snow and slips influence the growing conditions on the hills.