New Zealand rock wren
Species of bird / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The New Zealand rock wren (Xenicus gilviventris) is a small New Zealand wren (family Acanthisittidae) endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Its Māori names include pīwauwau ("little complaining bird"), mātuitui, and tuke ("twitch", after its bobbing motion).[2] Outside New Zealand it is sometimes known as the rockwren to distinguish it from the unrelated rock wren of North America.
New Zealand rock wren | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Acanthisittidae |
Genus: | Xenicus |
Species: | X. gilviventris |
Binomial name | |
Xenicus gilviventris Pelzeln, 1867 | |
The rock wren is currently restricted to alpine and subalpine areas of the South Island. It is a poor flier and highly terrestrial, feeding in low scrub, open scree, and rockfalls. The rock wren and rifleman are the only two surviving New Zealand wrens; the rock wren's closest relatives were the extinct stout-legged wrens, followed by the extinct bushwren.[3] Its numbers are declining due to predation by introduced mammals.