Johannes Gerardus Keulemans

The poaka (pied stilt) is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most recognisable wading birds, with its elegant black-and-white plumage, long thin legs and needle-like black bill. It appears perfectly designed for wading and foraging in wetlands, estuaries and shallow rivers, environments whose wellbeing is reflected in its populations. John Gerrard Keulemans, who never visited Aotearoa but had access to collected specimens, was likely assisted in this detailed depiction by observations of a closely related European stilt.

(Bird Land: Te Kāhui Manu 15 August 2026 – 8 February 2027)