Hakawai fossil map
Where fossils of Hakawai have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 15 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 15 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 18.7–15.9 million years ago (Burdigalian to Langhian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Named by | De Pietri et al. 2015 |
| Fossil records | 7 occurrences at 4 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | New Zealand |
| Rock formations | Bannockburn |
About Hakawai
Hakawai is an extinct genus of prehistoric birds that lived during the early Miocene to middle Miocene in New Zealand. According to a 2015 paper, Hakawai melvillei was a representative of a large group of birds that comprises the seedsnipes of family Thinocoridae) and the plains-wanderer (family Pedionomidae). This discovery sheds light on evolutionary processes at work when South America, Antarctica, Australia, and New Zealand were all parts of Gondwanaland.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Hakawai melvillei (revision 1357366052), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q136803093.
