Pheasant Cuckoo

Tiny bird that tends to stay high in canopy; difficult to spot. Mostly black head with white throat, yellow belly, and olive back. Proportionally large head, broad bill, and short tail. Very similar to Common Tody-Flycatcher, but typically found in taller forest. Also note dark eye and white throat. Listen for series of chip notes that could easily be passed off as an insect.

A slender, long-tailed canopy warbler with green upperparts, a grayish face with a striking red eye, a yellow breast, and a white belly that is sometimes separated from the breast by a variable black bar which is lacking in some races and individuals. Pairs are resident in forest edge and arid and broadleaf woodland, but join mixed-species flocks to forage actively in the canopy, flicking their tails as they move. The species is most often detected by its repeated grating buzzy “chrr-eek-chrr-eek-chrr-eek” territorial call given by both sexes.

A medium-sized songbird endemic to New Zealand, confined to predator-free offshore islands and North Island mainland sanctuaries. Glossy black plumage with distinct chestnut saddle across the back, which gives the bird its name. Note the bright reddish-orange wattles on either side of the bill. Juveniles lack the shine in plumage and show dusty brown tips to the black body feathers and smaller wattles. The species is often heard before it is seen, with loud vocalizations resembling a blaring “cheet te-te-te-te.” Constantly moves noisily as it restlessly forages on the floor and through the canopy. Flicks over leaves and digs into rotting logs with its strong bill in search of invertebrates. Distinguished from Eurasian Blackbird by chestnut saddle and wattles.