Saddleback

25 cm; Male 80 g, Female 70 g. Head and body glossy black with bright chestnut saddle, rump and tail coverts; pendulous range—red wattles at base of black bill. North Island subspecies has thin buff line at upper edge of saddle. North Island juvenile has smaller wattles and lacks buff line; South Island juvenile (Jackbird) chocolate brown, paler below, with reddish-brown tail coverts, and small wattles. Often feeds on the forest floor, and bounds from branch to branch rather than flies. Main call is a strident ringing 'Cheet, te-te-te-te'; often duet. Habitat: Forest and scrub on several offshore islands. Breeding: Aug-May.