Chatham Islands Gerygone
Gerygone albofrontata
Small warbler endemic to the Chatham Islands of New Zealand. Note dull olive-brown upperparts and white to yellowish plumage below. Distinctive red eye. Males are larger and have a white forehead, eyebrows, chest, and belly. Females have more subtle coloring. Juveniles have brown eyes and a noticeable yellowish tinge to their underparts. Confined to southern forests and scrub. Forages for insects from tree trunks and leaves. Will come to the ground to forage, often in small family flocks. Listen for loud male song, a repeated 4-note phrase “chi-ch-ch-ch.” Some nests are parasitized by larger Shining Bronze-Cuckoo. Distinguishable from Silvereye by lack of distinctive white eye-ring.
Identification
The Chatham Island warbler has a plain olive-brown head and upperparts, with off-white underparts interrupted by pale yellow flanks and undertail. The male warbler has a distinctive white forehead, eyebrows, throat and underparts. The female warbler lacks these white areas, instead showing dull greyish-white underparts and yellow eyebrows, cheek and throat. Both adults have red eyes. This species of warbler also shows variation in the plumage of the juvenile bird. More akin to the female colouration, the juveniles have olive-grey upperparts and more yellow through their underparts, with brown eyes.<p>Adult Chatham Island warblers of both sexes are about 12 cm (4.7 in) long, but the male slightly outweighs the female adult, with average weights of 10 g (0.35 oz) and 8.5 g (0.30 oz) respectively.<p>The call of the Chatham Island warbler is delicate and intricate. The bird song is said to be similar to that heard from grey warblers that haven't graduated into full song, with initial phrases of four notes recurring throughout the tune. This distinctive call was said to be used by Māori to act as a reminder for when the time came to plant their crops.
Taxonomy
Genus: Gerygone; Family: Acanthizidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Gerygone albofrontata
- Authority
- Gray, GR, 1845
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Acanthizidae
- Genus
- Gerygone
Range and habitat
Its natural habitat is temperate forests. Widespread in the southern forest of the main Chatham Island, the warblers are also seen on surrounding islands such as Pitt Island, Little Mangere Island, Star Keys, and Rangatira. Habitat loss and predators are the main causes for the northern boundary seen on the main island.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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