Media Release
16 April 2012
Rare bird makes full recovery
Hihi
One of New Zealand's rarest birds, the Hihi, was brought to The Nest Te Kohanga at Wellington Zoo for care, after being
found at Zealandia with an irregular head tilt.
Dr Lisa Argilla said that the head tilt could have been a result of either flying into something, an infection in the
brain, or having consumed something poisonous.
"With such a small bird, it is hard to run the usual diagnostics to assess its condition, but we were able to x-ray the
bird to ensure there were no fractures," explained Dr Argilla. "We also gave it medication to deal to any toxins that it
may have ingested, as well as treating it for possible infections."
Hihi usually become stressed in a hospital environment, but this was one determined little bird. "Once it started
perking up, it was very ready to get on its way! We ended up treating it in a smaller room without glass so that it
wouldn't try to fly through windows."
Zealandia collected the Hihi on Wednesday afternoon to introduce it back in the sanctuary, as it had made a full
recovery.
"We're really lucky to have The Nest Te Kohanga as a teaching hospital," said Dr Argilla. "Treating the more common
native birds such as Kereru and Tui on a regular basis means that we are well prepared to deal with the rarer native
birds when they come our way."
The Nest Te Kohanga helps to train wildlife vets around the country, which helps to ensure that native animals can
receive expert hospital care.
A Hihi can be recognised by their strident call, which 19th century ornithologist Sir Walter Buller described as
resembling the word 'stitch'. This call sounds like two stones being struck together, and explains why they are also
known as Stitchbirds. The Hihi also has a unique nest building style, making use of tree cavities to construct a complex
nest with a stick base that is topped with finer twigs, and then lined with fern scales, lichen, and spider web. They
have a diverse and unusual mating system, where a female may breed with a single male, or with several. This makes it a
challenge to determine the parentage of chicks. Hihi are also the only birds known to sometimes mate face to face.
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