titipounamu - rifleman
The smallest endemic bird in Aotearoa. Fancy your chances at spotting what the Bird Of The Year supporters lovingly called the 'tiny tree potato?'
Photo: Tania Wilkinson
titipounamu - rifleman
Acanthisitta chloris
New Zealand Status: Endemic
Conservation Status: Not threatened
Lifespan: Up to 10 years
Size: 7-9cm (smaller than, well, any other bird)
Weight: 6g
-Predation by introduced pests, especially stoats.
-Habitat clearance has lead to population declines and fragmentation.
Is it a rifleman?
Look for: A tiny, tiny, tiny bird with hardly any tail. They hop around quickly so look for shades of green which are even more prominent on the males.
Listen for: Their calls are so high pitched that many people can't hear them. They sound almost like an insect or even an electrical humm.
Did you know?
The English name is linked to the resemblance of the bird's plumage to the military uniform of a rifleman. The Maori name combines tititi (a mirage of) and pounamu (greenstone).
Their name also reflects the way the bird moves around so quickly. So quickly in fact that their wing beat produces a humming sound not unlike a hummingbird.
Titipounamu @ Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari
40 birds from Pirongia and 40 more from Pureora Forest were translocated to Maungatautari in 2021.
Being Aotearoa's smallest bird, it's not easy to spot one. There have been sightings in the trees just below the Visitor Centre, next to the Manu Korokii Profile Group Education Centre. They have also been spotted on the Rata Track at the junction with the kereru information board and around the tower. If you are lucky enough to see them they will probably be searching for insects on a tree, climbing up it in a spiral around the trunk.