North Island kōkako
Holders of the record for longest duet for any songbird in the world!
Photo: Debs Smith
North Island kōkako
Callaeas wilsoni
New Zealand Status: Endemic
Conservation Status: Nationally increasing
Lifespan: Potentially up to 20 years
Size: 38cm (similar to a kākā but slimmer)
Weight: 210-240g
- Predation by rats and possums at the nest.
- Competition for food from possums and deer. Food supply influences the number of breeding attempts by kōkako.
Is it a Kōkako?
Look for: Kōkako aren't the best fliers so you may see them hopping amongst tree branches. Their blue wattles stand out in contrast to their grey bodies and black face masks (a fitting accessory for a bird so difficult to see).
Listen for: Kōkako have a beautiful yet haunting sound that is hard to put into words. Duets are often performed from the tops of the trees in the early morning.
Did you know?
From a low point of under 400 kōkako pairs in the 1990s, there are now over 2000 pairs across the country.
The same success was not shared by the South Island kōkako which is thought to be extinct.
Kōkako @ Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari
These gorgeous manu are more likely to be heard than seen. They enjoy life a bit higher up the mountain so your best bet is to head out on the Over The Mountain Track at dawn. If you're lucky enough to hear them, you'll be treated to an iconic sound which has been described as sonorous, haunting and organ-like.
40 kōkako were translocated to Maungatautari from the Mangatutu Ecological Area in the Rangitoto reserve (near Pureora Forest Park) in 2015 and 2016, generously gifted by Pureora iwi Ngāti Rereahu. A 2020 survey of the population on Maungatautari suggested that the population is the fastest growing, mainland, translocated population in Aotearoa, with 101 territorial birds.
In June 2025, a new cohort of kōkako joined the population on Maungatautari from the Hunua ranges (Te Ngaherehere o Kokukokunui), warmly gifted by Hunua iwi. These new arrivals will help to increase the genetic diversity of the population on Maungatautari. We are humbled to be the first site entrusted with kōkako from the Hunua ranges.