Taxonomy
The Saddleback was first described by German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789. Its common name is derived from the demarkated brown plumage on its back which resembles a saddle. The Maori name of Tieke is from the particular sound of one of this species' common calls: ti-e-ke-ke-ke-ke.
There are two subspecies:
- North Island Saddleback — Philesturnus carunculatus rufusater
- South Island Saddleback — Philesturnus carunculatus carunculatus
The Saddleback appears to be a remnant of an early expansion of passerines in New Zealand and is one of three New Zealand wattlebirds of the family Callaeidae, the others being the extinct Huia, and the endangered Kōkako. New Zealand Wattlebirds have no close relatives apart from the Stitchbird, and their taxonomic relationships to other birds remain to be determined.
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