Tiri Stitchbird

Some of the best spots on Tiritiri Matangi are at the bird baths. Here are two tui surrounding a stitchbird. The tui is not that rare, but this picture is good because you can see the poofy white feathers on the neck that gave them the name "parson bird". The tui is an entertainer because their calls sound like something from a computer game, with lots of clicking and whirring.

The stitchbird, on the other hand, is extremely rare. Even 100 years ago, they were reduced to a remnant population on one small island near Auckland. It is a nectar feeder, like its cousin, the tui. It is also has a loud and complicated song, which it employs a lot. At the baths on Tiri there were heaps of these birds which are found no where on the mainland.



Posted by Hello