Chlidonias

North Island saddleback (Philesturnus carunculatus rufusater)

September 2012, Tiritiri Matangi island, Auckland.

Saddlebacks are of the two surviving NZ wattlebirds (the other being the kokako, which I saw several of on Tiritiri but never managed to get a photograph of, not even a bad one!). Recently the two saddleback subspecies (North and South Island) have been split into two separate species, but I refuse to follow this taxonomic change!!
September 2012, Tiritiri Matangi island, Auckland.

Saddlebacks are of the two surviving NZ wattlebirds (the other being the kokako, which I saw several of on Tiritiri but never managed to get a photograph of, not even a bad one!). Recently the two saddleback subspecies (North and South Island) have been split into two separate species, but I refuse to follow this taxonomic change!!
 
Great shot!
 
It's just a question of accumulating more leave (I've just used it all up) and saving some more money. And waiting till Summer - Auckland is still too cold for my liking.

:p

Hix
 
It's just a question of accumulating more leave (I've just used it all up) and saving some more money.
sounds like you spend too much time chasing fish and not enough time chasing birds :p
 
Pertinax said:
Presumably still no evidence the South Island one still exists anywhere?
zooboy28 said:
Plenty of evidence, numbers estimated at 700+ :D

I'm guessing you were thinking of Kokako.
no firm evidence of South Island kokako survival, but quite a few reports (there are dedicated kokako hunters out there determined to find them). As with saddleback, the two kokako subspecies have also been elevated to species recently.
 
sounds like you spend too much time chasing fish and not enough time chasing birds :p

This coming from someone who worked in an Aquarium ...

:p
 

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