South Island Saddleback (Philesturnus carunculatus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

South Island Saddleback

Philesturnus carunculatus (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

75 gWeight

The South Island saddleback or tīeke (Philesturnus carunculatus) is a forest-dwelling passerine bird in the New Zealand wattlebird family which is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand.

Busiest months: November · Most records: New Zealand

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

South Island Saddleback has been recorded at 9 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Rakiura NP – Ulva IslandNew Zealand1,343 records
  2. Blumine Island | OruawairuaNew Zealand336 records
  3. Ulva Island West EndNew Zealand287 records
More places
  1. Queen Charlotte SoundNew Zealand37 records
  2. Orokonui EcosanctuaryNew Zealand16 records
  3. Stewart Island – Oban & Halfmoon BayNew Zealand12 records
  4. Stewart Island – east coast pelagic watersNew Zealand11 records
  5. Stewart Island – Titi Islands PelagicNew Zealand4 records
  6. Abel Tasman NP – Marahau EstuaryNew Zealand1 record

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 South Island saddleback or tīeke (Philesturnus carunculatus) is a forest-dwelling passerine bird in the New Zealand wattlebird family which is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Both the North Island saddleback and this species were formerly considered conspecific. The Department of Conservation currently has the South Island saddleback listed as At Risk--Declining.

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

Questions

How big is the South Island Saddleback?

The South Island Saddleback weighs around 75 g.

Where does the South Island Saddleback live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: South Island, now mainly on satellites (New Zealand). It is most often recorded in New Zealand.

When is the best time to see the South Island Saddleback?

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

Is the South Island Saddleback endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the South Island Saddleback as Least Concern.

What does the South Island Saddleback eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the South Island Saddleback in?

It belongs to the family New Zealand Wattlebirds (Callaeidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Weight
75 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Varied
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
107 mm
Tail
101 mm
Bill
38 mm
Tarsus
44 mm

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

Range

Australasia: South Island, now mainly on satellites (New Zealand)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
New Zealand Wattlebirds Callaeidae
Genus
Philesturnus

Other birds in the genus Philesturnus

North Island SaddlebackNorth Island SaddlebackPhilesturnus rufusaterNorth Island KokakoNorth Island KokakoCallaeas wilsoni
South Island Saddleback

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

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