The Whitehead (Mohoua albicilla) or PÅpokotea is a small bird endemic to New Zealand. It is currently classified in the family Pachycephalidae and thus regarded as a relative of the whistlers in Australia and the unusual Pitohui, a genus of poisonous birds from New Guinea. The Male Whitehead's upperparts, wings and tail are a pale brown in color, while the head and under parts are pure white. The black beak and eyes contrast with the white head. The Whitehead has suffered a marked decline in the past two centuries since European colonization and today is restricted to a fraction of its former range. Historically, deforestation has destroyed large areas of habitat for this species but today the greatest threat is the predations of invasive mammalian species such as rats and stoats. It has been the subject of an active conservation campaign and has been successfully reintroduced into reserves near Auckland and Wellington respectively. In the past Whiteheads held a special place in Maori culture. As well as the species appearing in many legends, Whiteheads were viewed by maori to have roles as messengers of the gods and as fortune tellers or seers - and because of these beliefs, live birds were caught and used in several different kinds of ceremonial rites.
These photos were taken on the predator free island of Tiritiri Matanagi.