Whitehead

Pōpokotea is a small endemic North Island songbird with a clean white head and noisy social flocks. Adults have a white head and underparts with brown-grey wings and back; mohua has a yellow head and lives in the South Island.

It occurs patchily across the North Island and has been restored to sanctuaries including Tiritiri Matangi, Zealandia and Maungatautari. Flocks glean insects from foliage and bark and also take fruit; long-tailed cuckoos parasitise their nests.

Whitehead is Not Threatened (NZ Threat Classification). Rats and forest clearance caused local disappearances, especially around cities. Pureora Forest, Tiritiri Matangi, Zealandia and Maungatautari are reliable sites.