Birds Guide

Callaeidae
Huia (Heteralocha acutirostris)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata   Class: Aves   Order: Passeriformes   Family: Callaeidae Sundevall, 1836
Genera
Callaeas  Philesturnus  Heteralocha

The small bird family Callaeidae (also named in some sources as Callaeatidae) is restricted to New Zealand. Only two species survive, one of them critically endangered. A third, the Huia became extinct early in the 20th century.

The Callaeidae are often known as wattlebirds, a term that leads to confusion, as there are other, unrelated species with this same name, notably the large Australian wattlebirds of the family Meliphagidae, which are honeyeaters.

These birds seem to be remnants of an early expansion of passerines to New Zealand. They have no close relatives expect the stitchbird, and their more distant relationship is likewise still unknown (Ewen et al., 2006).

• ORDER PASSERIFORMES
  • (many other families)
  • Family Callaeidae
    • Kokako, Callaeas cinerea
      Tieke, Philesturnus carunculatus (formerly Creadion carunculatus)
      Huia, Heteralocha acuitirostris (extinct)

References

• Ewen, John G.; Flux, Ian & Ericson, Per G. P. (2006): Systematic affinities of two enigmatic New Zealand passerines of high conservation priority, the hihi or stitchbird Notiomystis cincta and the kokako Callaeas cinerea. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 40(1): 281–284. DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.01.026 PDF fulltext