South Island Saddleback
Philesturnus carunculatus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyCallaeatidae
- GenusPhilesturnus (Saddlebacks)
- SpeciesPhilesturnus carunculatus (South Island Saddleback)
The South Island saddleback or tīeke (Philesturnus carunculatus) is a forest-dwelling passerine bird in the New Zealand wattlebird family which is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Both the North Island saddleback and this species were formerly considered conspecific. The Department of Conservation currently has the South Island saddleback listed as At Risk--Declining. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Abel Tasman National Park
Tūī
Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae
New Zealand Fantail
Rhipidura fuliginosa
Silvereye
Zosterops lateralis
Welcome Swallow
Hirundo neoxena
Eurasian Blackbird
Turdus merula
New Zealand Bellbird
Anthornis melanura
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebs
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelos
Grey Warbler
Gerygone igata
Eurasian Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelis
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinella
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of South Island Saddleback at Abel Tasman National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |