Explore the science concepts that underpin knowledge and understanding about birds and their structure, function and adaptations.
Adaptation is an evolutionary process whereby an organism becomes increasingly well suited to living in a particular habitat. It is ...
Moths make up the third most diverse insect group in New Zealand, and their day/night habits are also diverse. While ...
E whakapae ana kei te āhua 209 ngā momo manu whakawhānau i Aotearoa. Me pēhea tātou e mōhio he aha ...
The whio/blue duck has many adaptations to help it survive in its challenging fast-flowing river habitat. Even newly hatched whio ...
New research details the history of raupō from the time before people arrived in Aotearoa. It shows this resilient, opportunistic plant – and taonga species – ...
Of the world’s 22 species of albatross, nearly half can be found in Aotearoa. These include the wandering or snowy albatross (Diomedea exulans). Its wingspan of ...
He tohu te whakarerekētanga o te korihi a ngā manu kāore e tika ana tētahi āhuatanga mō te tangata whenua i te Waitākere. He āhuatanga o ...
It is estimated there are currently 209 breeding bird species in Aotearoa New Zealand. How can we tell what bird species we are observing? All living ...
The huia (Heteralocha acutirostris) was a majestic bird with vibrant orange wattles, shiny black feathers and white-tipped tail feathers. Unfortunately, this bird is extinct, with the ...
A more precise timeline now shows Aotearoa was first settled in the North Island before the settlers expanded south and then retreated again when the climate ...
American foulbrood (AFB) is a highly infectious disease that infects bee larvae. It costs the beekeeping industry millions of dollars a year and threatens the role ...
One of New Zealand’s iconic moa species was almost wiped out during the last ice age according to recently published research. DNA from ancient eastern moa ...
The most controversial feature of the New Zealand flora is the plethora of small-leaved trees and shrubs with wiry interlaced branches. This article has been republished ...
What are extremophilic microorganisms? Let’s start by looking closer at microorganisms. All the organisms we know about on Earth are either cellular (by far the majority) ...
This Connected article takes a Pacific worldview and describes how the people of the Cook Islands have attempted to manage and protect their marine resources with ...
This Connected article, written by Matt Boucher, looks at why our wildlife is so distinct and how the species developed and adapted to their current state. ...
Ruminants are mammals with specialised digestive systems that use fermentation processes to gain nutrients from plant material. Cattle, sheep, deer and goats are all ruminants. They ...
In Spring 2020 Countdown developed a fantastic collection of insect cards and an album full of amazing facts and activities all about insects found in Aotearoa ...
Insects can be large – like the 130 mm wingspan of the kapokapowai/bush giant dragonfly – or tiny – like the 2 mm namu/West Coast blackfly. ...
In the Connected article Catch my drift, students learn about phytoplankton – tiny floating organisms that form the base of the marine food web. The article ...
Kākā (Nestor meridionalis) are one of New Zealand’s endemic parrots and a great example of how concerted efforts can improve a native species’ conservation status. It ...
The ‘Buzz of bees’ is a Connected journal devoted entirely to bees. Each article has diagrams and illustrations that offer opportunities for students to develop the ...
What is a mast? You might be forgiven for thinking it had more to do with ships than conservation! The term comes from the ancient English ...
Introduced wasps cause all sort of problems for people and native species, but did you know we have native wasps in New Zealand? A female Certonotus ...
Imagine being able to smell your dinner from the other side of a sports field. Insects do this with the pair of antennae on their heads. ...
Have you ever wondered how animals manage to survive in the harsh Antarctic environment? What do they eat during those long winter months when ice and ...
An inquiry approach is often recommended for science education. It supports student-directed learning and can enhance engagement because students pursue questions and lines of inquiry that ...
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