North Island Saddleback
Philesturnus rufusater
- Class
- Bird
- Rarity
- Rare
- Observations
- 1,607
- Most observed in
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
- Conservation
- Near Threatened
Description
The North Island saddleback (Philesturnus rufusater) is a forest-dwelling passerine bird species endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. It was once considered conspecific with the South Island saddleback. The IUCN lists the species as Near Threatened, while it is listed as a "relict" species in the New Zealand Threat Classification System. Saddlebacks are known in Māori as tīeke.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “North Island saddleback”.