New Zealand Fernbird (Poodytes punctatus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

New Zealand Fernbird

Poodytes punctatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1832)

25 gWeight

The New Zealand fernbird or simply fernbird (Poodytes punctatus) is an insectivorous bird endemic to New Zealand.

Busiest months: November · Most records: New Zealand

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

New Zealand Fernbird has been recorded at 35 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Tiritiri MatangiNew Zealand536 records
  2. Tokaanu Old Wharf RdNew Zealand263 records
  3. Sinclair WetlandsNew Zealand251 records
More places
  1. Awarua Bay – Eastern endNew Zealand188 records
  2. Rotokare Scenic ReserveNew Zealand173 records
  3. Orokonui EcosanctuaryNew Zealand161 records
  4. Fiordland NP – Mirror LakesNew Zealand151 records
  5. Pauatahanui ParkNew Zealand133 records
  6. Tiritiri Matangi – Wattle TrackNew Zealand99 records
  7. Aramoana – Saltmarsh WalkNew Zealand79 records

Countries and regions with the most records

New Zealand

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The New Zealand fernbird or simply fernbird (Poodytes punctatus) is an insectivorous bird endemic to New Zealand. In the Māori language, it is named kōtātā or mātātā.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the New Zealand Fernbird?

The New Zealand Fernbird weighs around 25 g.

Where does the New Zealand Fernbird live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: New Zealand and satellites to Snares Islands (south of South Island). It is most often recorded in New Zealand.

When is the best time to see the New Zealand Fernbird?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the New Zealand Fernbird endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the New Zealand Fernbird as Least Concern.

What does the New Zealand Fernbird eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the New Zealand Fernbird in?

It belongs to the family Grassbirds & Allies (Locustellidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Weight
25 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Varied
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
68 mm
Tail
75 mm
Bill
18 mm
Tarsus
22 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: New Zealand and satellites to Snares Islands (south of South Island)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Grassbirds & Allies Locustellidae
Genus
Poodytes

Other birds in the genus Poodytes

Fly River GrassbirdFly River GrassbirdPoodytes albolimbatusSpinifexbirdSpinifexbirdPoodytes carteriLittle GrassbirdLittle GrassbirdPoodytes gramineusCordillera Ground WarblerCordillera Ground WarblerRobsonius raboriSierra Madre Ground WarblerSierra Madre Ground WarblerRobsonius thompsoniBicol Ground WarblerBicol Ground WarblerRobsonius sorsogonensisGray's Grasshopper WarblerGray's Grasshopper WarblerHelopsaltes fasciolatusSakhalin Grasshopper WarblerSakhalin Grasshopper WarblerHelopsaltes amnicolaMarsh GrassbirdMarsh GrassbirdHelopsaltes pryeriPallas's Grasshopper WarblerPallas's Grasshopper WarblerHelopsaltes certhiola
New Zealand Fernbird

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Ben Ackerley. ↗

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