A closer look at some of the native birds we've come to know and love.

A helicopter ride sealed the fate of a plucky pigeon that briefly became the sole representative of New Zealand's newest bird species.

In August last year the juvenile rose-crowned fruit-dove was discovered on the petroleum processing ship Raroa in the Maari oil field off the cost of south Taranaki after it was blown across the Tasman Sea in a westerly storm. In doing so it became the first bird of its kind to be recorded in New Zealand.

The bird, which likely came from Australia, found refuge on the ship about 70 kilometres off the North Island's west coast, having crossed 2000km of open ocean.

SONJA ROSS/SUPPLIED Te Papa bird expert Colin Miskelly says a record-setting rose-crowned fruit-dove was killed by New Zealand authorities because of an inconsistency in legislation. (pictured) A rose-crowned fruit-dove photographed in its natural habitat in Cairns, Queensland.

But that is where its luck ran out.

It was discovered by the ship's crew who placed it on a scheduled helicopter flight to New Plymouth the following morning. It was brought to the attention of Biosecurity New Zealand staff who destroyed it that evening as a biosecurity risk.

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TE PAPA New Zealand's first recorded rose-crowned fruit-dove was destroyed by Biosecurity New Zealand and its skin was preserved as a study skin for Te Papa.

Te Papa bird expert Colin Miskelly said the bird had "flown into the history books" but was killed as a result of conflicting pieces of legislation which had competing definitions of New Zealand's territorial limits.

Vagrant species are protected by law if they make it to New Zealand by natural means, he said.

On the oil ship the fruit-dove was protected under the Wildlife Act which defines New Zealand as being within the country's 200 nautical mile (370.4km) Exclusive Economic Zone, he said. By contrast the Biosecurity Act, under which the agency acted, says the country's territorial limits are 12 nautical miles (22.2km).

Biosecurity New Zealand southern regional commissioner Steve Gilbert said because of the bird's helicopter trip from the Raroa, it was considered an import.

"We understand the Wildlife Act provides some protection for foreign birds that arrive in New Zealand as natural vagrants. However, once the bird was placed on a helicopter and flown to the mainland from the vessel, it was regarded as an import.

"In this case, there was a risk that the bird was carrying exotic pests and diseases that could pose a threat to our native wildlife."

Miskelly said there was a "lack of logic" in the competing territorial definitions. No-one had yet attempted to streamline the legislation to avoid these sorts of situations.

No-one batted an eyelid at the "hundreds, if not thousands" of other vagrant birds that made it to New Zealand annually, nor the "90,000 bar-tailed godwits that migrate here every year".

"It's the first time that I'm aware of that a [vagrant] bird has been intercepted and deliberately killed by a government agency."

Gilbert said the agency was occasionally notified of vagrant birds within New Zealand's borders and action was taken on an individual basis.

The bird from the Raroa was subsequently donated to Te Papa.