Flora & Fauna

Among this remote landscape and hostile environment thrives an abundance of native flora and fauna, including species unique to the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. Over 750 different Native flowering plants live in the park, mainly found in the alpine shrublands and tussock grasslands.  The most popular of these are the many varieties of mountain buttercup (Ranunculus) and daisy (Celmisia).  The famed Mount Cook Lily, Ranunculus lyallii is the largest buttercup in the world. Only small patches of silver beech forest remain after early burn-offs by settlers.

About 40 species of birds are found in the park. The most distinctive is the Kea, a mountain parrot well known for its mischievous antics.  The only permanent alpine bird is the tiny rock wren, which survives the winters in high rocky basins.  Sometimes keas, falcons and black-backed gulls can be found soaring in the higher areas.  In the braided Tasman River bed adjacent to the park, the endangered black stilt is staging a comeback. The park is also rich in invertebrate fauna, including large dragonflies, grasshoppers, distinctive moths and butterflies.  Sand-flies abound and a black alpine weta known as the Mount Cook flea is found above the snowline.