A Wellington resident out for his lockdown walk has spotted a rare karearea (NZ falcon) in the city's CBD.

A rare and hungry kārearea (NZ falcon) has been seen hunting in Wellington's deserted main city streets.

Pete McCombe spotted the kārearea while on an evening lockdown walk with his partner on Lambton Quay.

"I noticed a bit of commotion with the starlings, these were moving rather rapidly," he said.

"Then I saw the head pop up, and quite a distinctive head."

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Pete McCombe Wellington resident Pete McCombe has spotted a kārearea (NZ falcon) in the city's CBD.

It snatched up a starling, before flying to the awnings of the nearby buildings.

McCombe watched the large bird for several minutes as it flew from the corner of Grey St and Customhouse Quay to the Wellington Museum building, where it finished its starling dinner.

Birds were clearly expanding their range during lockdown, McCombe said.

"It shows nature is really reacting to the reduced intrusion of humans."

ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF Empty streets, no traffic are encouraging native birds to explore the city.

On a walk up in Mt Victoria, he'd seen kākā flying towards the CBD like he'd never seen before, he said.

"We used to always be walking around with our eyes on the ground, but now you can see the things in the sky and you can hear the birds," he said.

"It's worth going out for a walk at five or six o'clock at night and casting your eyes to the sky, you might see some interesting things."

Flocks of starlings are usually seen in autumn, when trees are fruiting. "Now, we're seeing flocks and flocks of them in the city", McCombe said.

Kārearea are rare in Wellington and are mostly spotted south of Waikato, and in some offshore islands.

Zealandia conservation manager Dr Danielle Shanahan said it was "a spectacular sighting" of a kārearea in the middle of the city.

"Normally, the noise and busyness of the city streets would mean this is a place this top predator tends to avoid."

They have been spotted before in the hills around Wellington, she said.

"There were a few reports of walkers encountering protective parents near nests over the summer."

The falcon is just the latest rare bird to be spotted in Wellington during the lockdown.

Fantails have been filmed exploring the CBD, and a photographer in Kelburn has spotted an extremely rare white tauhou (waxeye) - a leucistic bird with just pure white and bright yellow feathers.

The rare and distinctive bird was later spotted again at a home in Thorndon.

Shanahan has previously said native birds are becoming more adventurous during lockdown.

"It shows us what can happen if we make space for nature in our cities."