Wattling Away from Extinction

Callaeidae

by Inspector Barry Mins on October 4, 2023

Hey, kids, welcome back to our series on the mysteries of created kinds. Last week, we got to meet the wattle eyes, a group of birds with colorful feathers around their eyes. This week, we get to meet more birds, and these live in just one country.

Two by Tuesday

This week’s kind is found only in New Zealand and is highly endangered. One species is extinct, and another might be . . . and there only were five species to start with! This small group of songbirds was pushed almost to extinction by the introduction of rats and other non-native species but now is recovering.1 They usually eat insects, with the New Zealand wētā the most commonly identified group.2 However, both nectar and fruit are also taken as a small percentage of their diet.3 Because they eat multiple types of food, they are classified as omnivores.

Members of this kind are sexually dimorphic, meaning it is easy to tell males from females.4 They lay tiny eggs, usually no more than an inch and a half long and an inch wide.5 The parents take care of the young until they fledge and leave the nest.

North Island Saddleback on branch

North Island Saddleback
Duncan Wright, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Has anyone figured it out yet? This week’s kind is the Callaeidae—the New Zealand wattlebird kind. These colorful songbirds are starting to rebound in New Zealand, but they still require conservation to recover. Stay tuned for next week when we meet a group of insectivorous birds formerly classified with the nuthatches.

Try out this fun cross word!

Clue

Your clue for the week is:

There are just three species in one genus of this kind, and they are found only in Australia and New Guinea.

Ask a Question

Have you ever had a question about created kinds but didn’t know who to ask? Have you ever wanted to learn more about your favorite kind? Well, now you can! You can ask me, Inspector Barry Mins, a question! Have your parents help you fill out this form, and you might get your question answered in my column! If you have any questions about created kinds, feel free to send them my way!

Footnotes

  1. S. Hooson and I. G. Jamieson, “The distribution and current status of New Zealand Saddleback Philesturnus carunculatus,” Bird Conservation International 13 (2003): 79–95.
  2. J. P. Pierre, “Foraging behaviour and diet of a reintroduced population of the South Island saddleback (Philesturnus carunculatus carunculatus),” Notornis 47 (2000): 7–12.
  3. R. Thorogood, T. Henry, and S. Fordham, “North Island kokako (Callaeas cinerea wilsoni) feed on flax (Phormium tenax) nectar on Tiritiri Matangi Island, Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand,” Notornis 54 (2007): 52–54.
  4. P. F. Jenkins and C. R. Veitch, “Sexual dimorphism and age determination in the North Island saddleback (Philesturnus carunculatus rufaster),” New Zealand Journal of Zoology 18, no. 4 (1991): 445–450.
  5. B. J. Gill, “Natal down and egg size of the Kokako Callaeas Cinerea (Aves: Callaeidae),” Records of the Aukland Institute and Museum 30 (1993): 87–91.