Mar 31

Bird of the day

North Island kōkako

Callaeas wilsoni

The North Island kōkako (Callaeas wilsoni) is a forest bird endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. It is grey in colour, with a small black mask. Adults have distinctive blue wattles. Because of its wattle, the bird is sometimes locally called the blue-wattled crow, although it is not a corvid. The name "kōkako" comes from its vocalization. The song of the North Island kōkako has an almost human-like quality and can sound like its own name.

Aliases

North Island kōkako