The Boeing 737, with 115 passengers and six crew, left Dunedin for Wellington at 4.50pm and experienced the bird strike in its left engine about 20 minutes later.
An Air New Zealand spokeswoman said standard operating procedure was followed, with pilots notifying air traffic control and requesting assistance.
The flight returned to Dunedin and landed without any problems.
Emergency services on standby were not needed.
After disembarking, most passengers called friends and family to tell them of their experience and were left wondering how they were going to get to their destinations.
But soon afterwards, Air New Zealand announced it was flying in another plane to take the passengers to Wellington while the affected plane was inspected by engineers.
The disabled plane is due back in service today.
Eleven-year-old Deborah Parkinson, of Wellington, who was sitting near the left engine, said she heard a "really bad noise" before the pilot informed passengers of the bird strike and emergency procedures were explained.
Her mother, Robyn, said everyone was calm, while fellow passenger Dean Delaney said some people around him were "really anxious".
Student Gracie Campbell said she heard a knock that "you don't usually hear" on a plane, but the children behind her thought the whole situation was "hilarious".
"The pilot did very well."
Businessman Steve O'Connor said he slept through the whole emergency.
He woke up thinking he was in Wellington, only to be disappointed.
Air New Zealand's manager at Dunedin Airport, Alistair Bevin, said pilots trained regularly flying planes under circumstances such as a bird being "ingested" into an engine.
