Bush Wren
Encyclopedia
The Bushwren Bush Wren, or Mātuhituhi in Maori
, was a very small and almost flightless bird
endemic to New Zealand
. It grew to about 9 cm long and 16 g in weight. It fed mostly on invertebrate
s which it captured by running along the branches of trees. It nested on or near the ground.
It was widespread throughout the main islands of the country until the late 19th century when mustelids
were introduced and joined rat
s as invasive
mammalian predators. The only authenticated reports of the North Island
subspecies (X. l. stokesi) since 1900 were from the southern Rimutaka Range
in 1918 and the Urewera
s up to 1955, with probable sightings on June 13, 1949, near Lake Waikareiti
, and several times in the first half of the 20th century in the Huiarau Range
, and from Kapiti Island
in 1911 (Edgar, 1949; St. Paul & McKenzie, 1977; Miskelly, 2003). Apparently, the last population lived in the area where Te Urewera National Park
was established, ironically just around the time of its extinction.
The last authenticated reports of the South Island
subspecies (X. l. longipes) were from Arthur's Pass
in 1966 and Nelson Lakes National Park
in 1968. There have been a few unsubstantiated reports since then from Fiordland
and Nelson Lakes.
The third subspecies, X. l. variabilis or Stead's Bushwren, was found on Stewart Island/Rakiura
and nearby islands. It is known to have survived on Stewart Island until 1951 (Dawson, 1951) but was probably exterminated by feral
cat
s. It lived on Kotiwhenua (Solomon) Island, being reasonably common, until the early 1960s. It survived on predator-free Big South Cape Island until Black Rat
s invaded it in 1964. The New Zealand Wildlife Service
attempted to save the species by relocating all the birds they could capture. They caught six birds and transferred them to Kaimohu Island where they did not survive and died in 1972.
The species is probably extinct
but it is not impossible that it survives.
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
, was a very small and almost flightless bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
endemic to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It grew to about 9 cm long and 16 g in weight. It fed mostly on invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s which it captured by running along the branches of trees. It nested on or near the ground.
It was widespread throughout the main islands of the country until the late 19th century when mustelids
Mustelidae
Mustelidae , commonly referred to as the weasel family, are a family of carnivorous mammals. Mustelids are diverse and the largest family in the order Carnivora, at least partly because in the past it has been a catch-all category for many early or poorly differentiated taxa...
were introduced and joined rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
s as invasive
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
mammalian predators. The only authenticated reports of the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
subspecies (X. l. stokesi) since 1900 were from the southern Rimutaka Range
Rimutaka Range
The Rimutaka Range is one of several mountain ranges in the North Island of New Zealand which form a ridge running parallel with the east coast of the island between East Cape and Wellington.The ridge is at its most pronounced in the southern part of the island, where it consists of the Ruahine,...
in 1918 and the Urewera
Te Urewera
Te Urewera is an area of the central North Island of New Zealand. Located in rough, sparsely populated hill country to the northeast of Lake Taupo, it is the historical home of Tuhoe, a Māori iwi known for their controversial stance on Māori sovereignty...
s up to 1955, with probable sightings on June 13, 1949, near Lake Waikareiti
Lake Waikareiti
Lake Waikareiti, also spelt Lake Waikare Iti, is located in Te Urewera National Park in the North Island of New Zealand. A number of hiking trails are found within the catchment basin of the lake....
, and several times in the first half of the 20th century in the Huiarau Range
Huiarau Range
The Huiarau Range is a range of mountains in the northeast of New Zealand's North Island. Part of the spine of mountains that run roughly parallel with the island's east coast, it is a southwestern extension of the Raukumara Range, lying between the end of that range and the North Island Volcanic...
, and from Kapiti Island
Kapiti Island
-External links:* , Department of Conservation* * , Nature Coast Enterprise *...
in 1911 (Edgar, 1949; St. Paul & McKenzie, 1977; Miskelly, 2003). Apparently, the last population lived in the area where Te Urewera National Park
Te Urewera National Park
Te Urewera National Park is one of fourteen national parks within New Zealand and is the largest of the four in the North Island. Covering an area of approximately 2,127 km², it is in the north east of the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island....
was established, ironically just around the time of its extinction.
The last authenticated reports of the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
subspecies (X. l. longipes) were from Arthur's Pass
Arthur's Pass
Arthur's Pass is a mountain pass in the Southern Alps of the South Island of New Zealand. It marks part of the boundary between the West Coast and Canterbury regions, 140 km from Christchurch and 95 km from Greymouth. The pass lies in a saddle between the valleys of the Otira River, a...
in 1966 and Nelson Lakes National Park
Nelson Lakes National Park
Nelson Lakes National Park is located in the South Island of New Zealand.It was formed in 1956 and covers some 1,020 km². It is centered at two large lakes, Rotoiti and Rotoroa. The park also includes surrounding valleys and mountain ranges...
in 1968. There have been a few unsubstantiated reports since then from Fiordland
Fiordland
Fiordland is a geographic region of New Zealand that is situated on the south-western corner of the South Island, comprising the western-most third of Southland. Most of Fiordland is dominated by the steep sides of the snow-capped Southern Alps, deep lakes and its ocean-flooded, steep western valleys...
and Nelson Lakes.
The third subspecies, X. l. variabilis or Stead's Bushwren, was found on Stewart Island/Rakiura
Stewart Island/Rakiura
Stewart Island/Rakiura is the third-largest island of New Zealand. It lies south of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait. Its permanent population is slightly over 400 people, most of whom live in the settlement of Oban.- History and naming :...
and nearby islands. It is known to have survived on Stewart Island until 1951 (Dawson, 1951) but was probably exterminated by feral
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s. It lived on Kotiwhenua (Solomon) Island, being reasonably common, until the early 1960s. It survived on predator-free Big South Cape Island until Black Rat
Black Rat
The black rat is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus Rattus in the subfamily Murinae . The species originated in tropical Asia and spread through the Near East in Roman times before reaching Europe by the 1st century and spreading with Europeans across the world.-Taxonomy:The black rat was...
s invaded it in 1964. The New Zealand Wildlife Service
New Zealand Wildlife Service
The New Zealand Wildlife Service is a defunct government department that was replaced by the Department of Conservation in 1987.-External links:* - New Zealand Wildlife Service collection...
attempted to save the species by relocating all the birds they could capture. They caught six birds and transferred them to Kaimohu Island where they did not survive and died in 1972.
The species is probably extinct
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
but it is not impossible that it survives.
External links
- 3D view of specimen RMNH 110.000 at NaturalisNaturalisNaturalis is the national natural history museum of the Netherlands, based in Leiden. It originated from the merger of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie and the Rijksmuseum van Geologie en Mineralogie in 1984. In 1986 it was decided that the museum had to become a public museum and a new...
, Leiden (requires QuickTimeQuickTimeQuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
browser plugin). - Paratype specimen of Xenicus longipes variabilis in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
- Image of Bush Wren from Te Ara: The Online Encyclopedia of New Zealand
- http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/search.aspx?advanced=colCollectionType:Photography+colOnlineTitle:XENICUS+longipes+colCollectionGroup:CHPhotography of Xenicus longipes by William Herbert Guthrie-SmithHerbert Guthrie-SmithWilliam Herbert Guthrie-Smith was a New Zealand farmer, author and conservationist.His book, Tutira: the story of a New Zealand sheep station, published in 1921, documented the impact of humans on New Zealand's environment in an easy reading, non-scientific yet accurate manner.He documented the...
] - Bush Wren / Matuhi. Xenicus longipes. by Paul Martinson. Artwork produced for the book Extinct Birds of New Zealand, by Alan Tennyson, Te Papa Press, Wellington, 2006