A living ark
Hihi
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Female hihi. Photo by Tom Lynch,
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Male hihi. Photo by Tom Lynch, |
Common name: hihi or stitchbird
Maori name: hihi
Scientific name: Notiomystis cincta
Status: endemic, threatened
Sparrow-sized with white wing bars. Females are olive and males have black heads and bright yellow shoulders. Both sexes have long whiskers and perch with an upward tail.
Known for their 'stitch' note (hence their name), their penetrating alarm call 'yeng, yeng, yeng' and the males explosive whistle 'see-si-ip'.
Known to occasionally mate face to face - the only known bird to do this.
Were extinct from the mainland since the 1880s until they were released into Karori Sanctuary in 2005.
Most commonly seen at the nectar feeders along Te Mahanga, Beech, Swamp and Round the Lake tracks.
More hihi information
Hihi factsheet (45kb, pdf)
Returning hihi to the mainland (written Dec 05, 48kb, pdf)
Experiencing hihi in the Sanctuary (18kb, pdf)
Link to hihi on DOCs website
Listen to a hihi call
