Did you know....

Riroriro/grey warblers are busy little birds.

These tiny, endemic songbirds are best known for raising the young of a much larger bird, the pīpīwharauroa/shining cuckoo. Weighing in at a mere 6g for an adult bird they are the same size as a rifleman, though with a longer tail. Having to keep up with this big job for a small bird means they have to start their own breeding efforts a bit early to get a brood in before the cuckoo arrive on our shores. That means they start breeding as early as July-August and this tactic is obviously paying off because they are abundant across the whole of Aotearoa.

To remind yourself of their lovely song click here