Banded Parisoma

A small, noisy songbird endemic to New Zealand, found on the South and Stewart Islands. Favors myriad forest types. Note brown upperparts with an ashy-gray face and neck, and pale creamy-brown underparts. Often located first by its harsh chattering contact calls and canary-like song. Forms fast-moving flocks in the canopy that will come down to investigate “squeaking.” Associates with other species such as Silvereye and Gray Gerygone in the non-breeding season, forming noisy, continuously chattering flocks. Pipipi is the main host of the parasitic Long-tailed Koel, and so adults can be encountered feeding a much larger Koel chick. Distinguished from Dunnock by lighter underparts; does not feed on the ground. Look for sharp contrast between gray face and lighter underparts and larger size to distinguish from Gray Gerygone.

Plain, dull slender long-tailed canopy warbler-like bird that is gray above and pale underneath, with pinkish legs and white tips to the tail. The female is like the male but has a pale base to the beak. Singles and pairs are resident in the mid-story and canopy of mid-altitude and montane forest, mostly between 1200–2200m, where it may join mixed flocks. Voice a strident repeated upslurred “swick-swick-swick….”. Only marginally overlaps with similar Black-headed Apalis, which is more contrasting than Chirinda: darker above and paler beneath, and in zone of overlap has a pale eye.

Large, dark hummingbird found in coastal regions and along large rivers. Use caution eliminating the more widespread Black-throated Mango, which often occurs in the same habitats; female-plumaged birds in particular may not be safely separable. Found in mangroves, abandoned plantations, swampy forests, and urban areas, often at higher levels in flowering trees, where it feeds on nectar and hawks for tiny flying insects. In proper light, green throat of male is diagnostic. Tail color is useful if bird can be studied at length; Green-throated’s tail is mostly purple, with brownish central tail feathers (tail of Black-throated is more chestnut, but subject to variation depending on light).