Bird Album
New Zealand Rockwren
Xenicus gilviventris Pelzeln, 1867
9 cmLength18 gWeight
The New Zealand rock wren (Xenicus gilviventris) is a small New Zealand wren (family Acanthisittidae) endemic to the South Island of New Zealand.
Most records: New Zealand
Where and when it's recorded
Most records: New Zealand
New Zealand Rockwren has been recorded at 3 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Fiordland NP – Milford SoundNew Zealand7 records
- Fiordland NP – Lake Gunn Nature WalkNew Zealand1 record
- Fiordland NP – Mirror LakesNew Zealand1 record
Countries and regions with the most records
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 rock wren (Xenicus gilviventris) is a small New Zealand wren (family Acanthisittidae) endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Its Māori names include pīwauwau ("little complaining bird"), mātuitui, and tuke ("twitch", after its bobbing motion). Outside New Zealand it is sometimes known as the rockwren to distinguish it from the unrelated rock wren of North America.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the New Zealand Rockwren?
The New Zealand Rockwren is about 9 cm long and weighs around 18 g.
Where does the New Zealand Rockwren live?
Its breeding range: Australasia: montane South Island (New Zealand). It is most often recorded in New Zealand.
Is the New Zealand Rockwren endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the New Zealand Rockwren as Endangered.
What does the New Zealand Rockwren eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the New Zealand Rockwren in?
It belongs to the family New Zealand Wrens (Acanthisittidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 9 cm
- Weight
- 18 g
- Habitat
- Shrubland
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Varied
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Endangered
More measurements
- Wing
- 49 mm
- Tail
- 13 mm
- Bill
- 14 mm
- Tarsus
- 23 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Australasia: montane South Island (New Zealand)
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- New Zealand Wrens Acanthisittidae
- Genus
- Xenicus
More from the family New Zealand Wrens
RiflemanAcanthisitta chloris
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Ben Ackerley. ↗
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