About Philesturnus carunculatus (Gmelin, 1789)
The South Island saddleback, also called tīeke (scientific name Philesturnus carunculatus), is a forest-dwelling passerine bird in the New Zealand wattlebird family. It is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Previously, this species and the North Island saddleback were considered the same species. New Zealand's Department of Conservation currently lists the South Island saddleback as At Risk--Declining. In the early 19th century, South Island saddlebacks were widespread across the South Island and Stewart Island. By the end of the 19th century, the species had declined and was close to extinction, driven by introduced predators. By 1905, all remaining saddlebacks were limited to the South Cape Islands, located off the coast of Stewart Island. In 1962, ship rats were introduced to Big South Cape Island, which caused the extinction of the greater short-tailed bat, Stewart Island snipe, and Stead's bush wren. In early 1964, the New Zealand Wildlife Service translocated 36 individual South Island saddlebacks from Big South Cape Island to pest-free islands: 21 individuals were moved to Big Island, and 15 were moved to Kaimohu Island. Additional translocations and predator removal efforts allowed the population to recover, and the current population is estimated to be around 2000 individuals.
