Yellowhead (Mōhua)
Intro
The yellowhead is a rare New Zealand songbird with a yellow head and underparts, found only on the South Island.
Predators
The Yellowheads predators are possums, stoats and rats. The Yellowhead builds its nests high in trees making it vulnerable to these pests, that's why the Yellowhead is endangered.
Looks like
Yellowhead birds have embellished beautiful yellow feathers covering their head and chest. The rest of the body is brown with varying shades of yellow and olive. The male has a vivid yellow head and underparts with a contrasting black bill, eyes and legs, with underparts yellowish brown. Males weigh around 30 grams. The female is slightly less brightly coloured and smaller than the male, weighing 25 grams. The female and the young Yellowhead look similar with the neck shaded brown. The average height of a Yellowhead is 15cm from the point of their bill to the tip of their tail.
Conclusion
The yellowhead bird is a small, vivid bird that is native to NZ. Unfortunately, the introduction of predators and pests to NZ by humans has threatened their survival. Their population has plummeted over the last century and it would be a real shame if these birds were to become extinct.
