Hihi | Stitchbird

The endemic hihi (Stitchbird, Notiomystis cincta) was once found throughout the North Island of New Zealand. By the 1880s this forest dwelling passerine (perching bird) was lost on the mainland, with the only population remaining on Hauturu-o-toi (Little Barrier Island). The decline of this bird was likely caused by introduced predators, although mustelids had not yet been introduced to New Zealand at this time, as well as from habitat loss and disease.

In 2020 a translocation to return forty hihi (20 males, 20 females) to Shakespear Open Sanctuary was carried out. That took the number of translocated hihi populations to seven: Kapiti Island (1991), Tiritiri Matangi Island (1995), Zealandia (2005), Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari (2009), Bushy Park Tarapuruhi (2013), Rotokare Scenic Reserve (2017), and Shakespear Open Sanctuary (2020). All translocated populations, except Kapiti Island, have been sourced from Tiritiri Matangi Island.

Reintroduced hihi populations are actively managed through non-native predator control, supplementary feeding, nest-boxes, management of parasites and population monitoring. At Shakespear the supplementary feeding (sugar run) is conducted on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The sugar water is made with raw sugar. Consumption of the sugar water varies with the availability of natural food sources. Some birds are infrequent visitors to the feeders. If you would like to help with the sugar run please email: info@sossi.org.nz

Unfortunately, the 2020 translocation coincided with the incursion of a female stoat who had a litter inside the park. That took the stoat incursion to ten animals and meant catching them all took a long time. This was devastating to several of the bird species within the Sanctuary, including the hihi. The population was lost by November 2021.

In 2024, another attempt to return hihi to Shakespear was carried out. For both translocations, the birds were fitted with pit-tags. These bands contain an RFID micro-chip which give each bird an individual identification that allows visits to the feeders to be detected via an aerial and recorded on a datalogger. The dataloggers assist in population monitoring and provide interesting data around the use of the feeders. A good place to view hihi visiting a feeder is on the Waterfall Gully track just above the waterfall, adjacent to the “hihi bridge” constructed by the Crack Track team in 2020.

So far, the second translocation has been going well, with fifteen females in the first breeding season, in contrast to just two in 2020. It is early days, but we hope the population will grow and be a success for this nationally vulnerable species. For more information about hihi see https://www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/stitchbird. For more information about hihi conservation see https://www.hihiconservation.com.

  • A wooden boardwalk curves through a lush forest with dense greenery. Sunlight filters through the canopy, creating dappled shadows on the path. Ferns and leafy trees surround the tranquil scene.
    The hihi bridge in Waterfall Gully
  • Female hihi with a blue pit tag on its leg, perched on a tree trunk covered with lichen and moss. The background is a blurred mix of green foliage.
    Female hihi with pit tag (Photo Neil Davies)
  • A hihi nest containing four white eggs, surrounded by twigs and leaves. The nest is woven neatly into a small space with a dark brown, textured base.
    Hihi eggs in nest box. The nest is constructed over 1 to 2 weeks using 200-600 sticks. The nest cup is built on top of a stick base and lined with ponga, moss and feathers. Up to 5 eggs can be laid in a clutch. Eggs are incubated for 2 weeks.
  • A small female hihi chick rests gently in a person's hands.
    Hihi chicks are banded around 21 days old and will fledge at around 28 days.
  • A group of thirteen people smiling and posing outdoors on a sunny day. They are gathered on a wharf, with lush greenery and a small building visible in the background.
    Translocation team on Tiritiri Matangi Island wharf – May 2024
  • A male hihi with a black head, white tufts, and yellow band across its chest perches on a branch. The bird has a red band on its leg, and its tail is upright. The background is blurred greenery.
    A male hihi