Whitehead (bird)

Whitehead (bird)

The Whitehead (Mohoua albicilla) or Pōpokotea is a small species ( 15 cm in length, 18.5/14.5 g.) of passerine bird endemic to New Zealand. It is currently classified in the family Pachycephalidae and thus regarded as a relative of the whistlers in Australia and the unusual pitohuis, a genus of poisonous birds from New Guinea.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 former 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. The black beak and eyes contrast with the white head and the feet are bluish black in colouration.

Formerly quite common and widespread in native forests in the North Island, the Whitehead has suffered a marked decline in the past two centuries since European colonisation and today is restricted to a fraction of its former range. Historically, deforestation has destroyed large areas of habitat for this species but today the greatest threat is the predations of invasive mammalian species such as rats and stoats. It has been the subject of an active conservation campaign and has been successfully reintroduced into reserves near Auckland and Wellington respectively. In the past Whiteheads held a special place in maori culture. As well as the species appearing in many legends, whiteheads were viewed by Maori to have roles as messengers of the gods and as fortune tellers or seers - and because of these beliefs, live birds were caught and used in several different kinds of ceremonial rites.