Bird Album
Whitehead
Mohoua albicilla (Lesson, RP, 1830)
15 cmLength18 gWeight
The whitehead (Mohoua albicilla; Māori: pōpokotea) is a species of small (15 cm in length, 18.5/14.5 g.) passerine bird endemic to New Zealand.
Busiest months: November · Most records: New Zealand
Where and when it's recorded
Whitehead has been recorded at 16 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Tiritiri MatangiNew Zealand1,611 records
- Zealandia Te Mara a Tane Wildlife SanctuaryNew Zealand1,019 records
- Tawharanui Regional ParkNew Zealand643 records
More places
- Tiritiri Matangi – Wattle TrackNew Zealand574 records
- Maungatautari – Southern Enclosure & Tautari WetlandNew Zealand237 records
- Kapiti Island LodgeNew Zealand188 records
- Zealandia – Lower DamNew Zealand155 records
- Rotokare Scenic ReserveNew Zealand150 records
- Shakespear Regional ParkNew Zealand149 records
- Tokaanu Old Wharf RdNew Zealand18 records
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
It is classified in the family Mohouidae. The male whitehead's upperparts, wings and tail are a pale brown in colour, while the head and underparts are white – in the case of the male an almost pure white in colour. Females and juveniles have similar colouration except that the nape and crown (top of the head) are shaded brown.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Whitehead?
The Whitehead is about 15 cm long and weighs around 18 g.
Where does the Whitehead live?
Its breeding range: Australasia: North Island and satellites (New Zealand). It is most often recorded in New Zealand.
When is the best time to see the Whitehead?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Whitehead endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Whitehead as Least Concern.
What does the Whitehead eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Whitehead in?
It belongs to the family Whiteheads (Mohouidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 15 cm
- Weight
- 18 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 70 mm
- Tail
- 65 mm
- Bill
- 13 mm
- Tarsus
- 25 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Australasia: North Island and satellites (New Zealand)
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Whiteheads Mohouidae
- Genus
- Mohoua
Other birds in the genus Mohoua
YellowheadMohoua ochrocephala
PipipiMohoua novaeseelandiae
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Oscar Thomas. ↗
Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.