Mohoua facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mohoua
Whitehead (Mohoua albicilla)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Mohouidae Mathews, 1946
Genus:	Mohoua Lesson, 1837

Mohoua is a small group of three bird species that live only in New Zealand. Their scientific name, Mohoua, comes from the Māori word 'mohua'. This is the Māori name for the yellowhead bird.

For a long time, scientists weren't sure where these birds fit in the bird family tree. They used to be grouped with birds called whistlers. But in 2013, scientists decided that Mohoua birds are special enough to have their very own family, called Mohouidae.

About Mohoua Birds

All three types of Mohoua birds show a difference in size between males and females. The males are usually bigger than the females. This difference is called sexual dimorphism.

Social Life and Foraging

Mohoua birds love to be together. They often search for food in groups, especially when it's not breeding season. Sometimes, they even join groups with other types of birds to find food. They often lead these mixed bird groups.

We know a lot about how Mohoua birds live and interact. They are known for something called cooperative breeding. This means that other birds, often older siblings, help the parents raise their young. This is very common for the Whitehead and Yellowhead species.

Brood Parasitism

Mohoua birds have a unique relationship with another bird called the long-tailed cuckoo. The cuckoo is a brood parasite. This means it lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, like the Mohoua.

When a long-tailed cuckoo lays an egg in a Mohoua nest, it often pushes the Mohoua's own eggs out. The Mohoua parents then end up raising the cuckoo chick as if it were their own. They don't get to incubate their own eggs or raise their own young when this happens.

Mohoua Species

There are three main species in the Mohoua group:

Image	Scientific Name	Common Name	Where They Live
	Mohoua albicilla	Whitehead	New Zealand
	Mohoua novaeseelandiae	Pipipi or New Zealand brown creeper	South Island of New Zealand
	Mohoua ochrocephala	Yellowhead	South Island of New Zealand

See also

In Spanish: Mohouas para niños