Stitchbird

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Stitchbird
Female Stitchbird (Hihi) in typical 'tail cocked' stance.
Female Stitchbird (Hihi) in typical 'tail cocked' stance.
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: see text
Genus: Notiomystis
Richmond, 1908
Species: N. cincta
Binomial name
Notiomystis cincta
(Du Bus de Gisignies, 1839)

The Stitchbird, or Hihi (Notiomystis cincta) is a rare bird endemic to New Zealand. It has become extinct on the mainland and survives only on offshore refuges, though a small population was established in Karori Wildlife Sanctuary (near Wellington). Its evolutionary relationships have long puzzled ornithologists, and it was eventually tentatively placed in the Meliphagidae family. New research (Ewen et al., 2006) suggests that it is best placed in its own monotypic family, the closest relatives of which are the Callaeidae. If this is confirmed, the new family will receive a name according to ICZN rules.

Contents

[edit] Description

The Stitchbird is a small honeyeater-like bird with a dark velvety cap and white ear-tufts, and a yellow band across the chest separating the black head from the rest of the body, which is grey. The females and juveniles are duller compared to the male, lacking the black head and yellow chest band. The bill is rather thin and somewhat curved, and they have a long tongue with a brush at the end for collecting nectar. They are very active, and call frequently. Their most common call, a tzit tzit sound, is believed to be the source of their common name which Buller noted "has a fanciful resemblance to the word stitch". They also do a high pitched whistle and an alarm call which is a nasal pek like a bellbird. Males give a piercing three-note whistle (often heard in spring) and a variety of other calls not given by the female.

They nest in tree holes high up in old trees, and are the only bird species that mates face to face, apparently in preference to the usual position (Anderson, 1993).

[edit] Food

Research has suggested that they face interspecific competition from the Tui and New Zealand Bellbird, and will feed from lower-quality food sources when these species are present. It rarely lands on the ground and seldom visits flowers on the large canopy trees favoured by the tui and bellbird (this may simply be because of the competition from the more aggressive, larger birds).

Their main food is nectar, but the stitchbird's diet covers a diverse range of over twenty species of native flowers and thirty species of fruit and many species if introduced plants. Important natural nectar sources are haekaro, matata, puriri, rata and toropapa. Preferred fruits include coprosma species, five finger, seven finger, tree fuschia, and Raukawa.

The stitchbird also supplements its diet with small insects.

[edit] Range and conservation

The Stitchbird was relatively common early in the European colonisation of New Zealand, and began to decline relatively quickly afterwards, being extinct on the mainland and many offshore islands by 1885. The exact cause of the decline is unknown, but is thought to be pressure from introduced species, especially Black Rats, and introduced avian diseases. A small population survived on Hauturu/Little Barrier Island, and this population persisted until the 1980s when the New Zealand Wildlife Service (now Department of Conservation) translocated individuals to create separate populations. They were moved to other islands in New Zealand's network of offshore reserves which have been cleared of introduced species and protect many other rare species including the Kakapo and Takahe.

Currently the world population is estimated to be between 500 and 1000 adult birds, surviving on Hauturu (Little Barrier Island), Kapiti Island, Tiritiri Matangi Island, Mokoia Island in Lake Rotorua, and in the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. Only the Hauturu/Little Barrier Island population is currently thought to be stable however[verification needed]. This species is classified as It is currently listed as Vulnerable (D1+D2) by the IUCN (BirdLife International 2004). This classification means that there are less than 1000 mature birds, and that the species is found in those 5 locations only. Should the number of self-supporting populations increase and the species flourish, it would likely be downgraded to Conservation Dependent.

[edit] Reintroduction to mainland

This section documents a current event.
Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

In October 2005, three Stitchbird chicks were hatched at the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary near Wellington, the first time for more than 120 years that a Stitchbird chick has been born on mainland New Zealand. The hatchings were described as a significant conservation milestone by sanctuary staff who were hoping further chicks would be born there (KWS 2005).

After more than a century of absence, 60 adult birds from the Tiritiri Matangi population are being released in Cascade Kauri Park, Waitakere Ranges (local) Autumn, 2007. This marks the start of the attempt to establish a robust hihi population not in need of intensive conservation action. Birds are initially being supplied with food and nesting facilities, and predators are being controlled, but it is hoped that the birds will soon be able to fend for their own (BLI 2007).

[edit] References

  • Angehr, George R. (1985): Stitchbird, NZ Wildlife Service
  • Anderson, Sue (1993): Stitchbirds copulate front to front. Notornis 40(1): 14. PDF fulltext
  • Ewen, John G.; Flux, Ian & Ericson, Per G. P. (2006): Systematic affinities of two enigmatic New Zealand passerines of high conservation priority, the hihi or stitchbird Notiomystis cincta and the kokako Callaeas cinerea. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 40(1): 281–284. DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.01.026 PDF fulltext

[edit] External links

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