New Zealand is home to a vast array of local birds which you cannot find anywhere else. One such example is the North Island Robin or Toutouwai in Maori. Given its name, you can only see the Toutouwai in New Zealand's North Island. These birds are naturally friendly and trusting — the North Island Robin often comes close to people, even occasionally standing on a person's shoe.
The North Island Robin is just one of three sub-species of New Zealand Robin. The other two can be found on the South Island and Stewart Island.
HOW DO NORTH ISLAND ROBINS LOOK?
North Island Robins or Toutouwai are dark, slaty-grey with a pale greyish-white lower breast and belly. They can measure up to 18 cm from beak to tail tip and weigh about 35 grams, with long, thin legs and an upright stance.
You can identify age and sex by feather colour. Males older than 3 years have almost black feathers over their upperparts. Females and young males below 2 years have pale to dark grey feathers above. Both sexes have a small patch of white feathers at the base of their beaks, occasionally flashed when interacting with other robins and small forest birds.
WHERE TO FIND THEM
You can find the Toutouwai in both native and exotic forests in the North Island. They are mainly found in central North Island, from Taranaki through the Bay of Plenty. Since 1991, populations have been established in predator-free Bay of Islands islands including Mokoia, Tiritiri, Matangi, Tuhua, Matiu/Somes, Mana and Moturoa.
SONG
Male Robins are known as the songsters of the forest. They are mostly active from August to December — males spend a lot of time singing loudly atop high perches in the forest canopy, especially in the morning. A full male robin song consists of a mixture of simple notes combined and sustained for up to 30 minutes, with regular short pauses.