Yellowhead (bird)
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 Yellowhead or Mohua
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| Mohoua ochrocephala (Gmelin, 1789) |
The Yellowhead or Mohua (Mohoua ochrocephala) is a small insect-eating bird that is endemic to New Zealand's South Island. Although abundant in the 1800s, particularly in beech forests from Nelson and the Marlborough Sounds to Southland and Stewart Island/Rakiura, they declined dramatically in the early 1900s due to the introduction of ship rats and mustelids. Today they have gone from nearly 75% of their former range. In New Zealand, the Mohua has the status of a protected threatened endemic species. Conservation efforts are being made to ensure its survival and Mohua populations have been established on several predator-free offshore islands, such as Breaksea Island in Fiordland and Ulva Island.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2005). Mohoua ochrocephala. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this species is endangered
- Heather, Barrie D; Robertson, Hugh A & Onley, Derek (2000). The field guide to the birds of New Zealand. Viking: Printing Press. ISBN 0-670-89370-6.
- Department of Conservation: Mohua (Yellowhead). Mohua (Yellowhead). Retrieved on May, 2005.
