Birds
Saddleback
Common Name: Saddleback / Tieke
Latin Name: North Island Saddleback: Philesturnus carunculatus rufusater South Island Saddleback: Philesturnus carunculatus carunculatus
Category: Endemic
Status: Rare
Characteristics: 25 cm wattle bird, North Island saddleback has a buff coloured band in front of saddle which is absent in the South Island subspecies.
Distribution: The North Island subspecies is the more common of the two and they disappeared from the mainland due to predation from rats, stoats and cats. Now both subspecies are only found on offshore Islands.
 |