bird land: te kahui manu

Author: Ken Hall, Douglas Campbell and more
Format: Hardback
Publication date: 10 August 2026
240 pages

The islands of Aotearoa New Zealand were once inhabited by birds. Shrieking, warbling, tinkling, booming. Poised, strutting, gliding, dancing in scribbled loops through the air. Forest, river, marsh, mountain, ocean, shore—everything charged with their mauri, life force.

Across centuries, artists have strived to capture their essence, creating a rich dialogue that traces human and avian histories in parallel. Bird Land is an immersive visual exploration of the cultural, ecological and imaginative breadth of the realm of birds in Aotearoa—from ancient rock art and taoka Maori, to colonial and scientific drawings and paintings, to modern and contemporary sculpture, weaving, carving, ceramics and photography.

A rich selection of engaging and wide-ranging texts—by Maori historian Te Maire Tau, curator Ken Hall, musician and author Ariana Tikao, novelist Peter Walker, art historian Rebecca Rice, de-extinction expert Douglas Campbell, weaver Kohai Grace, ornithologist Michael Szabo, documentary maker Bill Morris and writer Greg O’Brien—and artist interviews provide thoughtful context for the reader.

Highlights
– Full-page colour illustrations of more than 120 artworks.
– Artists include Sandy Adsett, Don Binney, Conor Clarke, Edith Collier, Shane Cotton, Lily Daff, Warwick Freeman, Elizabeth and John Gould, Fred Graham, Bill Hammond, Charles Heaphy, Ralph Hotere, Emily Karaka, Eileen Mayo, Colin McCahon, Dane Mitchell, Neke Moa, Anne Noble, Fiona Pardington, Michael Parekowhai, Bridget Reweti, Wi Taepa, Lois White, Robin White—and many, many more!
– Short, insightful texts alongside each artwork.
– Beautifully designed hardcover book with high production values, including gold-foiled cover and marker ribbon.