The New Zealand fernbird or simply fernbird is an insectivorous bird endemic to New Zealand. In the Māori language, it is named kōtātā or mātātā.
Region
New Zealand archipelago
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily across lowland and coastal wetlands, reedbeds, and dense scrub, including raupō, sedges, manuka/kanuka, and gorse thickets. It favors areas with tangled ground cover and standing water margins where it can remain concealed. Also present on some predator-managed offshore islands. Habitat loss through wetland drainage has fragmented its range, but it persists where dense cover remains.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 800 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The New Zealand fernbird is a secretive skulker of dense wetlands and scrub, more often heard than seen. It has a long, ragged-looking tail and a weak, fluttering flight, preferring to run and climb through vegetation. Its presence indicates relatively healthy wetland habitat, and it is known in Māori as kōtātā or mātātā.
New Zealand fernbird nest from the collection of Auckland Museum
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; weak, low fluttering flights
Social Behavior
Typically found in pairs or small family groups holding territories year-round. Nests are domed or partially domed and placed low in dense sedges or scrub. Both parents participate in rearing the young, and pairs often duet or keep contact with sharp calls.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of thin, metallic notes and short trills delivered from cover, often interspersed with sharp ticking contact calls. The call can carry surprisingly far in calm conditions, aiding pair contact in dense vegetation.
Plumage
Streaked brown upperparts with rufous tones and fine blackish streaking; white to buff underparts with light streaks on the breast. Long, graduated tail with frayed-looking tips. A pale supercilium contrasts with a rufous crown and warm brown face.
Diet
Primarily small invertebrates such as insects, spiders, and larvae gleaned from foliage, stems, and litter. It probes among sedges and reed bases and sometimes hawks briefly for flying insects. Occasional seeds and small berries may be taken, especially outside the breeding season.
Preferred Environment
Feeds within dense wetland vegetation, including raupō, sedges, and scrub margins where it remains concealed. Often forages close to the ground and at the edges of shallow water or damp litter.
