Exceptional records
The highest number of birds seen at one time was 3500 starlings, in a gum plantation. The second highest was 500 spotted shags at Hakatere Huts lagoon. Both of these records were excluded from subsequent analyses because they are extremes, not typical garden situations. The highest number of each species recorded in home gardens, in decreasing order, were 400 starlings, 200 house sparrows, 200 silvereyes, 150 greenfinches, 100 rock pigeons, 48 goldfinches, 48 tui, 45 bellbirds, 40 blackbirds, 40 chaffinches, 40 mynas, 40 mallards, 36 song thrushes, 35 spotted doves, 30 pheasants, 30 dunnocks, 27 yellowhammers, 24 fantails, 23 kereru (kukupa), 22 pukeko, 20 magpies, 17 kaka, 15 sulphur-crested cockatoos, 12 grey warblers, 12 eastern rosellas, and 11 redpolls. However, these numbers are exceptional. The mean (and median) number of each species was much lower.
Unusual garden birds included falcon (5 records), red-crowned kakariki (4), banded rail (3), robin (2), rifleman (1), whitehead (1), fernbird (1), and saddleback (1). Herb Christophers from Silverstream wrote, "I’ve seen falcon from my bed! – with freshly caught tui in talons!” The rifleman was seen by Russell Mason (Pounawea), the whitehead by Len Newman (near Lake Rotoehu), and the fernbird by Noel Burr (near Westport). Lisa and Neil Crosse and their four children heard the saddleback calling in Bushy Park next door to where they lived at the time. Lisa said, “It was a lovely opportunity to be living somewhere where we could see and hear birds which are not commonly seen in other areas.”