BIRDGACHA / FIELD NOTES

New Zealand Wattlebirds

New Zealand wattlebirds include kokako and saddlebacks, distinctive forest songbirds with strong legs and fleshy wattles beside the bill. Kokako are largely grey with dark faces, while saddlebacks combine dark plumage with a conspicuous chestnut back patch. Examples include North Island Kokako (Callaeas wilsoni), North Island Saddleback (Philesturnus rufusater), and South Island Saddleback (Philesturnus carunculatus). They forage through forest vegetation and litter, taking varying combinations of invertebrates, fruit and other plant material. Listen for the rich kokako song or harsher saddleback calls before searching through dense foliage.

How to recognize New Zealand Wattlebirds

Look for fleshy wattles at the sides of the bill.
Separate grey kokako from dark birds with a chestnut saddle.
Check the island or managed sanctuary before comparing species names.

Where they live

The family occurs in New Zealand, with surviving populations concentrated in managed forests and sanctuaries. Native forest supports the living members, including protected islands and restored mainland sites. Introduced predators and habitat loss greatly reduced their former distribution, so current occurrence depends on conservation history as well as suitable tree cover. Historical records of extinct Huia and former populations should not be treated as evidence of present-day local occurrence.

Species accounts: North Island Kokako · North Island Saddleback · South Island Saddleback

Sources — natural history: Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand: kokako and wattlebirds · Cornell Birds of the World: North Island Kokako (Callaeas wilsoni), species natural history.

Classification: IOC World Bird List: family names and classification.

Some Cornell Birds of the World account sections require a subscription.

Updated 2026-11-06. Species counts follow this site's catalogue. This is an editorial summary, not an expert peer review.