The endemic tomtit is one of the common forest birds found throughout New Zealand. Here are 8 facts about the tomtit, including identification tips and the 5 subspecies.
I’m thrilled any time that I’m out on a walk in the bush and happen to see a tomtit. These little birds always seem curious and come close to see what I’m up to. They aren’t as bold as fantails or robins that will stand by your feet, but they will get close. Here are 8 facts about this common forest bird. I hope that these will help you understand them more and give you a better appreciation of them the next time you see one.
8 Tomtit Facts
There are 5 subspecies of tomtit – the North Island tomtit, South Island tomtit, Chatham Island tomtit, Snares Island tomtit, and the Auckland Island tomtit. Three of these subspecies only live on small offshore islands and most likely you’ll never see them (unless you happen to travel to those islands).
This is a small bird (13 cm) with a large head, a squat body, and a short bill.
Tomtits are a common bird of native forests, plantation forests, and even scrubland throughout the country. It is very common to go for a walk in the bush somewhere and see one of these distinctly coloured black and white birds on a branch or shooting through the trees off to your side. More likely you’ll hear them than see them. Their call sounds kind of like a squeaky wheel on a wheelbarrow.
These birds eat a variety of insects. They will eat spiders, beetles, flies, moths, and even wetas. They forage for food at all levels of the forest, from the ground up to the canopy. Their main technique is to sit perched on a branch or trunk and scan the surrounding area. Then they’ll fly off to eat something or to relocate to a new perch.
Tomtits are dimorphic. That is just a fancy word that means males and females have physical differences, such as size or colouring. For example, male North Island birds are a unique black and white colour. The female North Island subspecies are a much duller, drab grayish/brown colour.
The female tomtit can be especially confused with the North and South Island robins. One difference is that the tomtit is smaller (13 cm) than the robin (18 cm). The robin has longer, spindly legs, and the tomtit appears squatter.
The Maori name for the North Island subspecies is miromiro and the South Island subspecies is called ngirungiru.
Similar to all native birds in the country, these birds are protected. They are susceptible to being killed by the introduced mammalian predators. Fortunately, they are doing OK and are not at great risk of extinction and are quite common and abundant throughout the country.