North Island Kokako
Callaeas wilsoni
Large songbird confined to a few scattered forests in the northern half of the North Island of New Zealand, and some offshore island sanctuaries where predator control is undertaken. Adults have a slate blue-gray body with vibrant cerulean wattles and a distinct black mask. Juvenile has smaller, pale pink wattles and a smaller face mask. Note the long downcurved tail and long legs, which help them bound around treetops with small wing flaps. Prefers not to fly but can glide for a few hundred meters when needed. Heard before seen at dawn; its unique, haunting song is composed of rich, sustained, organ-like notes. Often sings from a high perch and flaps its wings as it calls.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Callaeas wilsoni
- Authority
- (Bonaparte, 1850)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Callaeidae
- Genus
- Callaeas
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Versicolored Barbet
Eubucco versicolor
Brightly colored barbet of montane forest. Males are green with a yellow breast, a red belly band, and a red head; the color of the whisker can be blue or yellow depending on the subspecies. Females have a blue face and a greener body. Both sexes have a pale greenish-yellow bill. Often found singly or in pairs with mixed-species flocks, foraging in the mid-story and canopy of humid forest. Listen for a musical purr with a punctuated introductory note: “PA-prrrrr.”
Variable Sunbird
Cinnyris venustus
Medium-sized sunbird with strikingly different breeding male and female plumages. Breeding males are green on the head and back, with a purple band across the breast. There is much regional variation; the belly can be yellow-orange, yellow, or white, though it is yellow across most of the range. Some subspecies also show extensive purple onto the throat. Females and non-breeding males are plain olive-brown on the back and dull yellow below. Found in a broad range of habitats, from arid thornscrub to moist savanna, gardens, and forest edge. Vocalizations typical of a sunbird, and include a quick jumbled song. Similar to Collared Sunbird, but larger, with a longer and more curved bill.
Kurdish Wheatear
Oenanthe xanthoprymna
A medium-sized wheatear with distinct sexual dimorphism. Male has black bib, black wings, gray upperparts, and cinnamon undertail and uppertail feathers. Female is gray-brown overall with a cinnamon tail base, and sometimes has a darker throat. Breeds on open, rocky mountain sides and valleys. Winters in arid mountainous and hilly habitats. Song is short and buzzy, somewhat similar to that of Persian Wheatear.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.