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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Wildlife Act 1953

Miscellaneous

Schedule 1: Wildlife declared to be game

You could also call this:

"Animals declared as game in New Zealand, like certain birds you can hunt"

Illustration for Wildlife Act 1953

The Wildlife Act 1953 says some birds are game. You can find this list in a part of the act called a schedule. This schedule is empowered by section 4 of the Wildlife Act 1953. The birds on the list include black swan, chukar, and some types of duck. Some birds are only game in certain areas, like the grey partridge and pheasant, which are not game on the Chatham Islands or in some special game reserves listed in Part 2 of Schedule 3.

The list also includes pukeko, quail, and partridge. These birds are not game on the Chatham Islands. You can find more information about which areas are game reserves in Part 2 of Schedule 3.

The birds that are game are black swan, chukar, some types of duck, partridge, pheasant, pukeko, and quail. Some of these birds are not game in certain areas. You can check section 4 of the Wildlife Act 1953 to learn more about why this schedule was created.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM278547.

Topics:
Environment and resources > Conservation
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1Wildlife declared to be game Empowered by s 4

The following table is small in size and has 2 columns and no headings.
Black swan (Cygnus atratus): except on Chatham Islands
Chukar (Alectoris chukar): except on Chatham Islands
Duck:
Australasian shoveler (Anas rhynchotis)
Grey duck (Anas superciliosa) and any cross of that species with any other species, variety, or kind of duck (except on Chatham Islands)
Mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) and any cross of that species with any other species, variety, or kind of duck (except on Chatham Islands)
Paradise shelduck (Tadorna variegata)
Partridge:

Grey partridge (Perdix perdix): except on Chatham Islands

Red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa rufa), except—

  • on Chatham Islands; and
    1. within the areas (commonly known as upland game preserves) specified in Part 2 of Schedule 3

        		1.
        Pheasant:

        any bird, not being a domestic bird, of the genus Phasianus and any cross of any such bird with any other species, variety, or kind of pheasant, except—

      1. on Chatham Islands; and
        1. within the areas (commonly known as upland game preserves) specified in Part 2 of Schedule 3

            		1.
            Pukeko (Porphyrio melanotus): except on Chatham Islands
            Quail:
            Bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus): except on Chatham Islands
            Brown quail (Coturnix ypsilophora): except on Chatham Islands
            California quail (Callipepla californica): except on Chatham Islands
            Notes
            • Schedule 1: amended, on , by clause 5 of the Wildlife Order 2019 (LI 2019/154).
            • Schedule 1: amended, on , by clause 3 of the Wildlife (Canada Goose) Order 2011 (SR 2011/128).
            • Schedule 1: amended, on , by clause 3 of the Wildlife Order 2010 (SR 2010/159).
            • Schedule 1: amended, on , by clause 3 of the Wildlife Order (No 2) 1970 (SR 1970/208).