North Island Saddleback

Philesturnus rufusater

The North Island saddleback is a forest-dwelling passerine bird species endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. It was once considered conspecific with the South Island saddleback. The IUCN lists the species as Near Threatened, while it is listed as a "relict" species in the New Zealand Threat Classification System. Saddlebacks are known in Māori as tīeke.

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Low-Light Telephoto Systems

Identifying specific features of the North Island Saddleback requires high-contrast magnification. Check out the top-rated 8x42 optics.

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