Hihi | Stitchbird
Seen at Bushy Park, Wanganui
The hihi (stitchbird) was both rare and poorly known until the 1990s, as few people had an opportunity to visit the single remnant population on Little Barrier Island. However, thanks to successful conservation management and research, the hihi is now one of the better studied New Zealand bird species, and can be seen at several accessible translocation sites. Hihi are often curious, approaching people for close examination whilst emitting warning calls; yet the calls’ high pitch, and the bird’s rapid movements and colouration can make them hard to detect. Until 2006 the stitchbird was considered to be a honeyeater (Family Meliphagidae), which includes tūī and bellbird and c.100 other Australasian and Pacific species. However, genetic studies showed that the hihi belongs to a family of its own (Notiomystidae), closest to the New Zealand wattlebirds (Callaeidae, comprising huia, kōkako and saddlebacks). The hihi has a complex and unusual breeding system that includes pair and group nesting as well as promiscuity. They use a variety of mating positions and strategies that, when considered together, are unique in the bird world.
Hihi | Stitchbird
Seen at Bushy Park, Wanganui
The hihi (stitchbird) was both rare and poorly known until the 1990s, as few people had an opportunity to visit the single remnant population on Little Barrier Island. However, thanks to successful conservation management and research, the hihi is now one of the better studied New Zealand bird species, and can be seen at several accessible translocation sites. Hihi are often curious, approaching people for close examination whilst emitting warning calls; yet the calls’ high pitch, and the bird’s rapid movements and colouration can make them hard to detect. Until 2006 the stitchbird was considered to be a honeyeater (Family Meliphagidae), which includes tūī and bellbird and c.100 other Australasian and Pacific species. However, genetic studies showed that the hihi belongs to a family of its own (Notiomystidae), closest to the New Zealand wattlebirds (Callaeidae, comprising huia, kōkako and saddlebacks). The hihi has a complex and unusual breeding system that includes pair and group nesting as well as promiscuity. They use a variety of mating positions and strategies that, when considered together, are unique in the bird world.