▁domin ate ▁the ▁for ests . ▁It ▁also ▁has ▁a ▁diverse ▁range ▁of ▁birds , ▁several ▁of ▁which ▁are ▁flight less ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁ki wi ▁( a ▁national ▁icon ), ▁the ▁k ak ap o , ▁the ▁tak ah ē ▁and ▁the ▁we ka , ▁and ▁several ▁species ▁of ▁p engu ins . ▁Ar ound ▁ 3 0 ▁bird ▁species ▁are ▁currently ▁listed ▁as ▁end anger ed ▁or ▁crit ically ▁end anger ed . ▁Conserv ation ists ▁recogn ised ▁that ▁threatened ▁bird ▁populations ▁could ▁be ▁saved ▁on ▁off sh ore ▁islands , ▁where , ▁once ▁pred ators ▁were ▁ex termin ated , ▁bird ▁life ▁fl our ished ▁again . ▁ ▁Many ▁bird ▁species , ▁including ▁the ▁giant ▁mo a , ▁became ▁ext inct ▁after ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁Pol yn es ians , ▁who ▁brought ▁dogs ▁and ▁r ats , ▁and ▁Europe ans , ▁who ▁introduced ▁additional ▁dog ▁and ▁rat ▁species , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁c ats , ▁p igs , ▁fer rets , ▁and ▁we as els . ▁Native ▁fl ora ▁and ▁fa una ▁continue ▁to ▁be ▁hard - hit ▁by ▁invas ive ▁species . ▁New ▁Zealand ▁conservation ists ▁have ▁pione ered ▁several ▁methods ▁to ▁help ▁threatened ▁wild life ▁recover , ▁including ▁island ▁san ctu aries , ▁p est ▁control , ▁wild life ▁trans location , ▁fost ering , ▁and ▁e colog ical ▁rest oration ▁of ▁islands ▁and ▁other ▁selected ▁areas . ▁ ▁Mass ive ▁def or est ation ▁occurred ▁after ▁humans ▁arrived , ▁with ▁around ▁half ▁the ▁forest ▁cover ▁lost ▁to