korimako - bellbird
Heard more often than seen and not to be confused with their fellow nectar feeders, the tui.
Photo: Tania Wilkinson
korimako
bellbird
Anthornis melanura
New Zealand Status: Endemic
Conservation Status: Not threatened
Lifespan: 8 years
Size: 20cm (bigger than a sparrow, smaller than a blackbird)
Weight: 26g (females) to 34g (males)
-Predation by ship rats and stoats.
-Competition for food with pest species such as possums.
Is it a bellbird?
Look for: Olive green (male) or greeny-brown (female) bodies, red eyes and short curved bills.
Listen for: A range of melodious sounds but lacking the grunts and wheezes of tui. They also tend to repeat short phrases. Their wings have a distinctive whirring sound as they fly.
Did you know?
Captain Cook described korimako as sounding 'like small bells exquisitely tuned.' Hence their English name.
As nectar feeders, korimako play an important role in pollination and seed dispersal in the forest.
Korimako @ Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari
Korimako can be heard throughout the sanctuary. A good place to catch a glimpse is often from the top of the tower as they peruse the giant rewarewa and Northern rata.