Grey warbler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grey warbler |
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Gerygone
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igata
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The grey warbler (Gerygone igata) is a small bird that loves to eat insects. It is also known by its Māori name riroriro. This bird is special because it is found only in New Zealand. You can usually find it living in forests. Some people also call it the "teetotum" or "rainbird."
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The Grey Warbler: New Zealand's Tiny Songbird
What Does a Grey Warbler Look Like?
The grey warbler is one of the smallest birds in New Zealand. It is about 11 centimeters long. It weighs up to 6.5 grams, which is less than a dollar coin!
This bird has grey-brown feathers with a hint of olive-green. Its face, throat, and chest are pale grey. The belly is off-white with a slight yellow color. When it flies, you can see its tail is dark brown on top and white underneath. The tail also has white tips. A cool feature is its bright ruby-red eyes.
Male and female grey warblers look very similar. Females are usually a bit smaller. Young warblers are paler in color and have brown eyes. They do not have the yellow tinge of the adults.
Their Special Song
The male grey warbler has a very unique song. It often begins with three squeaks. Then, it builds into a long, wavering trill. This trill rises and falls, sounding quite sad or "plaintive."
Grey warblers sing all year round. However, they sing the most during spring when they are nesting. You might hear a grey warbler's song more often than you see the bird itself!
Where Do Grey Warblers Live?
Grey warblers are common all over New Zealand. You can find them on the main islands and many smaller islands nearby. They do not live in wide-open spaces or very high mountain areas.
These birds are happy in both native and non-native forests. You can find them almost anywhere there are trees or shrubs for cover.
How Do Grey Warblers Behave?
What Do They Eat?
Grey warblers mostly eat spiders, insects, and their larvae (baby insects). They are very active birds. They almost never stay still! They are always moving from one branch to another, looking for food.
Life Cycle and Nesting
Grey warblers build very special nests. They are the only New Zealand birds to make a pear-shaped nest. It has a small entrance hole near the top.
The male warbler gathers materials for the nest. But the female does all the building. She uses grass, leaves, small roots, and moss. She holds it all together with spider web threads! The nest is lined with soft feathers. It can be built anywhere from 2 to 25 feet (about 0.6 to 7.6 meters) above the ground. The nest is usually attached to a twig at the top. It is often also secured at the back or sides.
The male does not help build the nest or sit on the eggs. However, he does help feed the baby birds once they hatch. He also helps feed them after they leave the nest.
The female lays 3 to 6 eggs. She lays one egg every two days. The eggs are pinkish-white with tiny reddish-brown speckles. Each egg weighs about 1.5 grams. They are about 17 millimeters long and 12 millimeters wide.
The eggs hatch after about 19 days. The baby birds stay in the nest for another 15 to 19 days.
Their breeding season is from August to January. They usually have two sets of babies during this time. Sometimes, another bird called the shining bronze cuckoo will lay its eggs in the warbler's nest. This is called "brood parasitism." The cuckoo chick will then be raised by the warbler parents.
The Grey Warbler in Māori Culture
The grey warbler, or riroriro, was very important to the Māori. They believed the direction a grey warbler built its nest could predict the weather. This is why the bird was known as a manu tohu tau, which means "a bird that predicts the season."
Māori tradition says that the warbler builds its nest entrance opposite to the strongest wind. So, if the entrance faced east, it meant strong western winds were coming. This would lead to a poor season. But if the entrance faced north, it suggested a good season ahead.
In spring, the song of the grey warbler was a signal for Māori to start planting their crops. If someone ignored the warbler's song and did not help plant, they might be told a famous whakataukī (proverb):
I whea koe i te tangihanga o te riroriro, ka mahi kai māu?
Where were you when the riroriro was singing, that you didn’t work to get yourself food?
This proverb reminds people to do their part and not be lazy.
See also
In Spanish: Ratona Hada de la Isla Norfolk para niños
