Abstract
T he Stitchbird Notiomystis cine. - ta, a New Zealand endemic, belongs to the order Passeriformes, family Meliphagidae (honeyeaters) and are the sole member of the genus Notiomystis. The Meliphagidae include over 170 species of honeyeaters, miners, friarbirds, and sugarbirds. They are distributed primarily through Australia, New Guinea, Timar and the Pacific Islands. The Bellbird Anthornis melanura and Tui Prosthemadera nouaeseelandiae are the only other members of the family occurring in New Zealand.
Stitchbirds, known also by the Maori name Hihi, are one of only two honeyeater species known to nest in tree cavities. The name Stitchbird originates from the contact call, which resembles the word "stitch." Both sexes also have a soft warbling song and an excited alarm call, and males have a three-note whistle as well as mimicking other species.
In pre-European times Cit is believed that the Europeans introduced rodents and mustelids) Stitchbirds were distributed throughout the North Island and a number of the surrounding islands. By 1885 Stitchbirds had disappeared from the mainland, possibly as a result of ship rat predation at nest sites. Currently the only self-sustaining population resides on Little Barrier Island in the outer Hauraki Gulf. The Department of Conservation has recently re-introduced them to a further three islands where intensive management and monitoring is still underway; none of these three populations is considered to be successfully established to date.
The Mt Bruce National Wildlife Centre (NWC) is the only facility holding captive Stitchbirds. The NWC is operated by the New Zealand Department of Conservation and is dedicated to the breeding and restoration of rare and endangered New Zealand bird species. The Department of Conservation Stitchbird recovery
plan uses a captive breeding program in order to (1) develop effective husbandry techniques to be used in the event of a disaster affecting the only viable wild population and (2) trial techniques that could assist in establishing new self-sustaining populations.
The plan also acknowledges the environmental education role the species can play. While Stitchbirds have been held and bred in captivity for over a 14 years, there remain several challenges to their husbandry, including further disease research, development of hand-rearing protocols and trialing new aviary designs that will reduce disease risk. In the wild, naturally bad fruiting and flowering seasons can cause low productivity. In poor years, many second and third clutches are deserted. This phenomenon could, in future provide a source of birds for hand rearing if deserted clutches could be salvaged while still viable. In addition, diseasefree hand-raised birds for further research could be sourced from eggs from the captive population, which currently stands at 2:5.
There have been nine male and six female Stitchbirds brought in to Mt Bruce since 1985.
Diet
In the wild, Stitchbirds feed on a variety of nectar plants, fruit and invertebrates. The current artificial/captive diet is modeled on this variety, and is offered daily in three separate bowls, with a top up as required when rearing chicks. The diet provided consists of:
• Jam water: 250 ml of apple & raspberry jam and a tablespoon each
of bee pollen and Pronutro, blended into 1 litre of water. The pollen is a valuable nutritional supplement that is now a popular supplement with nectivores and species such as lorikeets. Pronutro is a cereal-based South African product (22% protein) that GH has used to raise species ranging from estridlids to psittacines.
• Wombaroo lorikeet nectar: a milk by-product-based product with <0.5% lactose, produced in Australia
• A fruit/vegetable puree (finely blended) which includes sweetcorn, carrot, grapes, apple, pear, and orange is made in a large batch and stored frozen in the amounts required daily.
Captive Stitchbirds are also offered a variety of natural food items. In addition to the natural plantings in the aviaries, the birds receive an almost daily supply of nectar-bearing flowers or bunch of wild fruits (e.g. Coprosma sp.). These natural foods are placed strategically so as to enhance public viewing of foraging birds. Live food, particularly moths, is readily caught using two fan/light insect traps. Live insects are mainly provided during the breeding season, and priority is given to the females with young. Small crickets, waxmoth larvae, and mealworms have also been offered without success. In the future, we intend introducing these to hand-raised birds at an early age.