North Island saddleback
| North Island saddleback Tieke (Māori) | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Subclass: | Neornithes |
| Infraclass: | Neognathae |
| Superorder: | Neoaves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Suborder: | Passeri |
| Infraorder: | Passerida |
| Family: | Callaeidae |
| Genus: | Philesturnus |
| Species: | P. rufusater |
| Binomial name | |
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Philesturnus rufusater (Lesson, 1828) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Philesturnus carunculatus rufusater |
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Philesturnus carunculatus rufusater
The North Island saddleback (Philesturnus rufusater) is a formerly endangered forest bird which is endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. Both the South Island saddleback and this species were formerly considered conspecific.
The North Island saddleback has benefited from multiple population reintroductions and is now resident on nine off-shore islands totalling approximately 7000 birds, from the original 500 birds found on Hen Island.
Having become extinct on the mainland 100 years earlier, a breeding colony of North Island saddleback was successfully established at Karori Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellington in 2002.
Feeding from a flax flower
Video shot at Orana Wildlife Park, Christchurch
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Wikipedia