Photo: Thomas Mattern / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Yellowhead
Mohoua ochrocephala
Yellowhead (Mohoua ochrocephala) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
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The Yellowhead (Mohoua ochrocephala) is a member of the Mohouidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 27.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Mohouidae Whiteheads
- Genus Mohoua
- Species ochrocephala
Where it lives
South I., Stewart I. (where extinct) and satellites (New Zealand)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 27.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Mohouidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Yellowhead is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Yellowhead is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Yellowhead (Mohoua ochrocephala) belongs to the Mohouidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU South I., Stewart I. (where extinct) and satellites (New Zealand).
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 27.7 g, with a wing length of about 8.1 cm and a tail of around 7.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 17,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Yellowhead?
The Yellowhead is a small bird that weighs around 27.7 g.
Where does the Yellowhead live?
The Yellowhead is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU South I., Stewart I. (where extinct) and satellites (New Zealand), where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Yellowhead belong to?
The Yellowhead (Mohoua ochrocephala) belongs to the Mohouidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Yellowhead eat?
The Yellowhead is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Yellowhead migrate?
The Yellowhead is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Yellowhead endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Yellowhead make?
1 real field recording of the Yellowhead can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Yellowhead's range?
The Yellowhead has a mapped global range of about 17,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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