South Island saddleback facts for kids
Quick facts for kids South Island saddleback |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Philesturnus
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| Species: |
carunculatus
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| Islands and sanctuaries in the South Island where South Island saddlebacks are located | |
| Synonyms | |
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Creadion carunculatus |
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The South Island saddleback is a special forest bird from New Zealand. It's also called the tīeke (say: tee-eh-keh). This bird lives only in the South Island of New Zealand. It belongs to the New Zealand wattlebird family.
Long ago, people thought the South Island saddleback and the North Island saddleback were the same bird, but now we know they are different. Today, the Department of Conservation says the South Island saddleback is 'At Risk' because its numbers are going down.
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Where the Saddleback Lives
A long time ago, in the early 1800s, South Island saddlebacks lived all over the South Island and Stewart Island. But by the end of that century, their numbers were dropping fast. This was because new animals, like rats, were brought to New Zealand. These new animals hunted the saddlebacks.
By 1905, the saddlebacks could only be found on the South Cape Islands, which are off the coast of Stewart Island. Then, in 1962, ship rats arrived on Big South Cape Island. This caused big problems for many native animals. Sadly, some animals, like the greater short-tailed bat and the Stewart Island snipe, disappeared completely from that island.
Saving the Saddleback
To save the saddlebacks, brave people from the New Zealand Wildlife Service moved 36 birds from Big South Cape Island in early 1964. They took them to islands where there were no rats or other harmful animals. Twenty-one birds went to Big Island, and 15 went to Kaimohu Island.
Since then, more saddlebacks have been moved to safe islands. People have also worked hard to remove predators from other islands. Thanks to these efforts, the number of South Island saddlebacks has grown. Today, there are about 2000 of these special birds.
Saddleback Health and Threats
The South Island saddleback can get sick from diseases like avian malaria and avian pox. These are bird diseases. For example, in 2002 and 2007, many saddlebacks got very sick and died from these illnesses.
Saddlebacks are especially at risk from avian malaria. This is because the disease is quite new to New Zealand, so the birds have not had much time to build up protection against it.
Protecting the Saddleback
The Department of Conservation started a special plan in 1994 to help save the South Island saddleback. This plan has a few important goals:
- To keep the wild groups of saddlebacks healthy.
- To make sure that new diseases or pests don't accidentally get to the islands where the birds live.
- To remove harmful animals from other islands that could be good homes for the saddlebacks in the future.
See also
In Spanish: Tieke de Isla Sur para niños
