miromiro - tomtit
A bit harsh but hard to disagree with its species name which translates as big head!
Photo: Noboru Komine
miromiro - tomtit
Petroica macrocephala
New Zealand Status: Endemic
Conservation Status: Not threatened
Lifespan: Unknown
Size: 13cm (just smaller than a sparrow)
Weight: 11g
-Introduced predators such as ship rats are bad news for clutches of chicks as well as adult females who alone incubate in shallow cavity nests.
Is it a tomtit?
Look for: As their latin name suggests, their head is rather large. Males are black and white while females are a slightly less distinctive brown and white.
Listen for: A high pitched 'ti-oly-oly-oly-ho' call.
Did you know?
One of the reasons that miromiro are not threatened is that they can rear three broods, each made up of three or four chicks.
Miromiro @ Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari
Although they could be seen anywhere, we've often come across miromiro around the Visitor Centre or on the path down towards the main entrance. They've even been seen perching on the fence, getting a good look at the invertebrates they are about to swoop down on. Miromiro are another species who were surviving on the maunga even in the presence of introduced pests before the building of the fence.