Kārearea Attacks Walkers in New Zealand: Territorial Bird Dive-Bombs Unsuspecting Hikers

In the weeks leading up to November 5th, 2025, New Zealanders have been warned to exercise caution around the kārearea, the country's 'bird of the year' and its fastest flying bird. The kārearea, a powerful falcon capable of reaching speeds of up to 200km/h, has been dive-bombing walkers who venture too close to their nests during the current nesting season.

The threatened kārearea was crowned 'bird of the year' in September 2025, but its territorial behavior during this time of year has put unsuspecting hikers at risk of being attacked. Walkers have reported hearing the birds before seeing them, only to be swooped at multiple times by the fast-flying raptors. The kārearea's impressive talons have added to the danger, with the birds known to target not just their usual prey of small mammals and lizards, but also larger animals that come too close to their nests.

Authorities have advised the public to avoid areas where kārearea nesting has been spotted, and to quickly leave the vicinity if they find themselves within the 400-meter radius that the birds will aggressively defend. With habitat destruction pushing the kārearea into smaller areas, encounters with walkers are becoming more common, leading to the recent incidents of dive-bombing attacks.