North Island saddleback

North Island saddleback Tieke (Māori)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Subclass: Neornithes
Infraclass: Neognathae
Superorder: Neoaves
Order: Passeriformes
Suborder: Passeri
Infraorder: Passerida
Family: Callaeidae
Genus: Philesturnus
Species: P. rufusater
Binomial name
Philesturnus rufusater
(Lesson, 1828)
Synonyms

Philesturnus carunculatus rufusater

The North Island saddleback (Philesturnus rufusater) is a formerly endangered forest bird which is endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. Both the South Island saddleback and this species were formerly considered conspecific.

The North Island saddleback has benefited from multiple population reintroductions and is now resident on nine off-shore islands totalling approximately 7000 birds, from the original 500 birds found on Hen Island.[1]

Having become extinct on the mainland 100 years earlier, a breeding colony of North Island saddleback was successfully established at Karori Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellington in 2002.

References

  1. "Saddleback as celebrity". Rodney Times. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
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