#167 Hihi

Notiomystis cincta
IUCN Redlist: Vulnerable
Location: Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand
Time: 1410 NZDT March 9, 2012

The hihi, or stitchbird, is not, at first glance, a very striking bird. About the same size as a korimako, bell miner or a little smaller than a starling, they aren't particularly brightly coloured, the males a bit more so than the females.

They make a kind of tsit noise, particularly when a person is invading their space, from which they get their common name They also have a variety of other calls, but they are not reknowned songsters.

Once you look a bit closer though, they have some quite unique features and habits.

They were long thought to be in the honeyeater, Meliphagidae, and they do compete with the two New Zealand honeyeaters species, korimako and tui. They are the least dominant of the three, so when korimako and tui are abundant they forced to utilise lower quality food sources. Recent work has shown, however, that they are sufficiently distinct to warrant a family of their own, Notiomystidae, and that their closest relatives are the NZ wattlebirds, Calleiadae. 

Like the wattlebirds, the stitchbirds are also recovering from near-extinction. Formerly ranging across the North Island, they became extirpated everywhere except Little Barrier Island in the outer Hauraki Gulf. They are now being introduced to sanctuaries like Tiritiri Matangi, as well as predator-controlled areas on the mainland such as Ark in the Park. However, on Tiri, which lacks mature forest, they require supplementary feeders to get them through the year. Still, they are slowly but surely making a comeback.

Hihi preening and pooping, on a water trough on Tiritiri Matangi

But it's in their breeding behaviour that hihi are most unusual. Besides the common one male-one female thing, a female hihi may mate and nest with two or more males, or a male with multiple females, or indeed multiple males and multiple females all nesting together. They also have extra-pair copulation, which may be a male forcing itself on a female. And they do one thing no other bird is known to do: they sometimes mate face-to-face, which seems to be used during forced copulation. Below is a diagram from Castro et al. (1995) showing the variety of mating postures used:

References

Castro, I, Minot, EO, Fordham, RA, & Birkhead, TR. 1995. Polygynandry, face-to-face copulation and sperm competition in the hihi Notiomystis cincta (Aves: Meliphagidae). Ibis 138: 765-771

#166 Piwakawaka

Rhipidura fuliginosa
IUCN Redlist: Least Concern
Location: Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand
Time: 1350 NZDT March 9, 2012

The piwakawaka, or New Zealand fantail, is sometimes classified as conspecific with the grey fantail of Australia, Rhipidura (fuliginosa) albiscapa.

#165 North Island Robin

Petroica longipes
IUCN Redlist: Not Evaluated (Least Concern)
Location: Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand
Time: 1240 NZDT March 9, 2012

The North Island robin, unlike some of the other species I've posted lately, is not extremely endangered, and still persists at many locations on the mainland. Like the takahe, however, it is larger than its close relatives - reaching 35g, compared to a max of 14g for other members of its genus in Australia*.

The North Island robin was formerly classified as a subspecies of the New Zealand robin P. australis, which is the classification scheme still used by the IUCN, hence why it is not evaluated on the Redlist.

A close relative the Chatham Island or Black Robin, P. traversi, is famous for hitting a population low of just 5 birds, with only a single fertile female, before it was brought back from the brink by Don Merton and the New Zealand Wildlife Service. Some of the techniques used were first developed during the rescue and recovery of the tieke.

*According to the best figures I could find

#164 Takahē

Porphyrio hochstetteri
IUCN Redlist: Endangered
Location: Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand
Time: 1200 NZDT March 9, 2012

The takahe are without doubt the stars of Tiritiri Matangi. They are also famous for having returned from (presumed) extinction after 50 years of absence. Takahe are the largest living rail, and are flightless. They evolved from pukeko, or a pukeko-like ancestor, which presumably flew to New Zealand from Australia. Another species, the North Island Takahe, or Moho, may have survived until the late 19th Century, but is only known from subfossil remains. The takahe, moho and pukeko all represent independent colonisation events.

Reappearing Act


Takahe formerly ranged across the South Island, but after European settlement were known from only 4 specimens, collected in 1849, 1851, 1879 and 1898. After the turn of the century takahe were presumed to be extinct. Geoffrey Orbell, however, believed that the takahe survived somewhere in the depths of Fiordland, and spent a lot of time searching for it. In 1948 he was searching among the mountains on the western side of Lake Te Anau, and found a set of unfamiliar footprints. Following them, he rediscovered the takahe on the 20th of November, 50 years after the last specimen was collected.

The takahe had been squeezed by introduced species into a refuge high in the Murchison Mountains. Mainly eating the tender base of tussock grasses, takahe were facing competition from deer, as well as predation by species like stoats. Soon after their rediscovery their habitat in the Murchison Mountains was set aside as the Takahe Special Area, and efforts at captive breeding began in 1957, but their population continued to decline, reaching a nadir of 118 animals in 1981. The effort to protect takahe was intensified, including control of pest species, captive breeding and introduction to predator-free sanctuaries. Today takahe live in two areas in Fiordland, four islands, the Burwood Bush Captive Rearing Unit, and Maungatautari Ecological Island (a fenced, predator-free sanctuary). A few individuals used for outreach and advocacy are also kept at the Mt. Bruce and Te Anau Wildlife Centres, as well as at Zealandia Sanctuary in Wellington.

Juvenile takahe on Tiritiri Matangi

The total population was estimated at 227 birds in 2008, with 93 in the Murchison Mountains, 91 on islands and 36 at Burwood Bush. In addition takahe sightings are occasionally reported from areas of Fiordland outside the Murchison Mountains, but it is too rugged to attempt to find them all.

Takahe (right) and pukeko (left) feeding on grass near the lighthouse on Tiritiri Matangi

The population on Tiritiri Matangi is about 10 birds, and is believed to be at carrying capacity. The island populations are managed as a single population, with birds moved between islands to maintain genetic diversity. One bird on Tiri, called Greg, has developed a taste for human food, and has become very confident, attempting to take food from people's hands, and stealing from bags. I'm sure there are other examples, but it's not common for such a rare bird to be in a sanctuary that is open to the public like Tiritiri Matangi is, so it always feels like quite a privilege to visit.

Though the takahe, being flightless, might be considered "captive" on Tiritiri Matangi, I'm counting them since they are breeding there - and since all takahe are intensively managed, even the Fiordland populations aren't exactly much different from these ones, you're just not allowed to enter their habitat without a permit.

References

Wickes, C.; Crouchley, D.; Maxwell, J. 2009: Takahe (Porphyrio hochstetteri) recovery plan 2007–2012. Threatened Species Recovery Plan 61. Department of Conservation, Wellington. 56 p.

#163 Red-crowned Parakeet

Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae
IUCN Redlist: Vulnerable
Location: Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand
Time: 1200 NZDT March 9, 2012

The red-crowned parakeet, or kakariki (the Maori name for several related species, also used for the colour green) is one of at least 8 species of parrot native to New Zealand. It was formerly considered conspecific with the Norfolk Island, New Caledonian and Reischek's parakeets, which have now been granted full species status. The subspecies from the Chatham and Kermadec Islands are also sometimes considered full species, while the extinct Lord Howe Island subspecies is sometimes considered a subspecies of the Norfolk Island Parakeet, and the two together have been dubbed the Tasman Parakeet.

#162 Pāteke

Pāteke pair on Tiritiri Matangi

Anas chlorotis
IUCN Redlist: Endangered
Location: Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand
Time: 1145 NZDT March 9, 2012

The pāteke, or brown teal, is a rare and endangered small duck. It reached a population nadir in the early 2000s at about 800 wild individuals, but thanks to the work of the Department of Conservation, and many dedicated volunteers and supporters, its numbers are rising. The main stronghold of the species is on Great Barrier Island, in the outer Hauraki Gulf. It has been reintroduced to Tiritiri Matangi, the northern part of the Coromandel Peninsula, and various sanctuaries such as Karori in Wellington.

Pāteke habitat on Great Barrier Island, 2008

The pāteke was formerly thought to be conspecific with the Campbell Island and Auckland Island Teals, which are only found on the subantarctic islands after which they are named. They have now been split into three species, A. chlorotis, A. nesiotis (Campbell Island) and A. aucklandica (Auckland Island). The two subantarctic species are both flightless, while the mainland species can fly, though not strongly.

Pāteke foraging on Great Barrier Island, 2008

The Auckland Island Teal population remains stable, as one of the islands in the group is free of introduced pests. The Campbell Island Teal, however, was until recently in an even more dire situation than the pāteke. Campbell Island was overrun with rats, and the teal was restricted to Dent Island, a pretty barren rock just 64 acres in area. The teal had likely been restricted to this island for decades, and probably numbered no more than 100 birds. Then, in 2001, rats were eradicated from Campbell Island by an aerial drop of pesticide, the largest island pest eradication ever successfully undertaken. Since then captive bred teal have been returned to Campbell Island, and probably made their own way over from Dent Island too. The population is now rising, and things are finally looking up for these three species of teal.

Pāteke on Tiritiri Matangi

A lot of useful information about pāteke can be found at brownteal.com

#161 Pukeko

Pukeko on Tiritiri Matangi Island

Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus
IUCN Redlist: Least Concern
Location: Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand
Time: 1120 NZDT March 9, 2012

The pukeko, known elsewhere as the purple swamphen or the purple gallinule (but not to be confused with the American Purple Gallinule, P. martinica) is a very widespread species, found in Madagascar, Africa, southern Europe, the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and many Pacific Islands. It may, however, be split into two or more species at some point in the future.

Pukeko at Western Springs Park, Auckland

Pukeko are a close relative of the most famous inhabitants of Tiritiri Matangi, the takahe, which I will be posting about soon.

Pukeko at Western Springs Park. There is a black fluffy chick at the upper right

Pukeko, specifically the Australasian subspecies P. p. melanotus, were recently featured in the zoologger column at New Scientist for their unsual breeding habits. The pukeko isn't the only New Zealand bird with unusual breeding behaviour: the hihi, or stitchbird, also has some unorthodox habits, and I will be posting on the hihi soon as well.

#160 Tieke

Philesturnus carunculatus
IUCN Redlist: Near Threatened
Location: Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand
Time: 1115 NZDT March 9, 2012

The tieke, also known as the saddleback, is a member of an ancient family of birds, the Calleidae or NZ wattlebirds. The other two recent members of this family are the Kokako, also reintroduced to Tiritiri Matangi, and the extinct Huia.

There are two subspecies of tieke, the North Island (rufusater) and South Island (carunculatus), and at both were at one point restricted to a single island haven each. Though both are now secure, the South Island subspecies came perilously close to disappearing altogether. It lived on Great South Cape Island, off the coast of Stewart Island at the southern end of New Zealand. In 1963 rats arrived on Great South Cape, and quickly overran the island. Quick action by the NZ Wildlife Service saved 36 birds which were moved to other islands, and which are the antecedents of all South Island Tieke today.

Although the tieke were saved, two species of bird, the South Island Snipe and the Bush Wren, were lost, as was the Greater Short-tailed Bat, one of only 3 terrestrial mammals native to New Zealand.

The North Island subspecies luckily never faced such a mortal threat. It lived on Taranga or Hen Island, about 70 km north of Tiritiri Matangi. It has since been established on numerous island sanctuaries, and both subspecies are beginning to be reintroduced to mainland sanctuaries.

Tieke are known to form mixed-species flocks, and on Tiri I saw one travelling with a group of popokatea, and piwakawaka or NZ fantails.

#159 Popokatea

Mohoua albicilla
IUCN Redlist: Least Concern
Location: Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand
Time: 1100 NZDT March 9, 2012

The popokatea is also known by the english name whitehead, for obvious reasons.

#158 Korimako

Anthornis melanura
IUCN Redlist: Least Concern
Location: Tiritiri Matangi Island
Time: 1100 NZDT March 9, 2012

The korimako, or New Zealand Bellbird, is in the same family as the tui, Meliphagidae, or honeyeaters. As the english name implies they have a bell-like song. Here's a video of a bunch of korimako singing around a supplementary feeding station set up to provide food for another species, the hihi:

#157 Tui

Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae
IUCN Redlist: Least Concern
Location: Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand
Time: 1050 NZDT March 9th, 2012

I'm back in New Zealand for a few days, and today I went out to Tiritiri Matangi Island. If you're not familiar with Tiri, it is an open sanctuary in the Hauraki Gulf, about an hours boat ride from downtown Auckland, New Zealand's largest city.

A group of tui on a supplementary feeding post

After being farmed for about 130 years, in 1970 Tiri became a recreation reserve. Following the reintroduction of the native red-crowned parakeet in 1974, zoologist John Craig and botanist Neil Mitchell from the University of Auckland studied the island, and proposed reforesting and restoring it, while keeping it open for the citizens of Auckland to visit (as an aside, Dr. Mitchell was my lecturer for one course when I studied at the University of Auckland). Between 1984 and 1994 almost 300,000 trees were planted on the island, and in 1993 introduced mammalian pests were eradicated.

Regenerating forest on Tiritiri Matangi

Today the island is flourishing, and bird life is abundant. Despite initial skepticism about the feasibility of having a sanctuary that is open to the public, Tiritiri Matangi has been highly successful, and has inspired the creation of similar projects, including on Motuihe, Rangitoto and Motutapu islands in the Hauraki Gulf, as well as on other islands around New Zealand. The success of Tiri has also allowed birds to be transferred from there to other restoration projects around the country.

The tui was the first bird I saw on arriving at the island, and they're one of my favourite New Zealand birds. They have fared better than many species in the face of introduced species and habitat loss, and are making a comeback in the suburbs of Auckland. They have a lacy necklace of white feathers, and little white tuft on their throat, from which they gain their (fairly uncommon) english name of Parson Bird. They are excellent mimics, incorporating parts of other birds' songs into their own. This talent extends to mimicking human speech, and you can see some videos of a talking tui called Woof Woof at the Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre.

Here's a video of one tui bathing in a water trough, while another drinks:

#156 Black Swan

Cygnus atratus
IUCN Redlist: Least Concern
Location: Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, Australia
Time: 1730 AEDT March 5, 2012

#155 Bell Miner

Manorina melanophrys
IUCN Redlist: Least Concern
Location: Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, Australia
Time: 1705 AEDT March 5, 2012

#154 Australasian Darter

Anhinga novaehollandiae
IUCN Redlist: Least Concern
Location: Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, Australia
Time: 1700 AEDT March 5, 2012

This is my second member of the genus Anhinga, the first being the anhinga I saw at Laguna Ventanilla in Mexico.

As a bonus, when taking these photos I also unintentionally snapped a second darter, visible in the background of the top photo; and either a great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) or a little black cormorant (P. sulcirostris), visible below.

#153 Hardhead

Aythya australis
IUCN Redlist: Least Concern
Location: Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, Australia
Time: 1655 AEDT March 5, 2012