Background Tiritiri Matangi homepage    An Island Environment Geology Inner Hauraki Gulf Offshore islands Island sanctuary Marine reserves Tiritiri Matangi marine reserve Hauraki Gulf weather   People and the Environment Lighthouse story Meet DoC's Ray Walter Restoration Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi Visitors Weather recording Weed control Land use   Threatened Species Birds of Tiritiri Matangi Classification systems Bellbird pics Bellbird facts Hihi pics Hihi facts Hihi release Kokako pics Kokako facts Tui pics Tui facts Kereru pics Kiwi pics Penguin pics Takahe pics Takahe or pukeko? Wattle birds NZ honeyeating birds Updated: September 6, 2001

Honey-eating Birds A female hihi sips from the extra food supplied by DoC staff   Tui and bellbirds often dominate the high-energy food supplies New Zealand has three honey or nectar feeding birds: tui, bellbirds and hihi. Hihi are the most threatened of these three species and are very rare. Hihi have been introduced to Tiritiri Matangi over recent years with 35 being released in 1995. For the first time at a release site, they are in natural competition with the other two honeyeater species in New Zealand - tui and bellbirds. The tui and bellbirds fiercely protect the more energy rich upper forest layers of nectar and fruit. The hihi are left without a good food supply in the lower sub-canopy and shrub layers. This often prevents them from feeding on many kinds of high-energy nectar and fruit. On Tiritiri Matangi DoC staff have taken action to compensate for the lack of rich food supplies at the lower canopy levels. A specially designed feeder allows the smaller hihi to feed on the honey and water solution. The netting is too small for the larger tui to get in. As trees such as pohutukawa and puriri establish themselves, a natural supply of nectar will be available to the hihi in the future. Print-friendly version of this page