Fun Yellowhead Facts For Kids

The pride and joy of the Islands of New Zealand, the Yellowhead is a small songbird that is endemic to the South Island and Stewart Island of New Zealand. They belong to the Mouhouidae family and are known by the scientific name Mohoua ochrocephala. The yellowhead population is slowly dwindling, and at only 5000 yellowheads, they have been given the Endangered status. This species lives in the beech forests of the Islands of New Zealand, and make their homes in the trees of the forest. A fun fact about this species is that they never leave the forests they live in. Yellowheads are known for their bright yellow colored head, and the unique song that they emit. They are commonly confused for the Yellowhammer bird, which also has a bright yellow head. However, the yellowhammer never enters the forests of the Yellowheads. One of the major contributors to the steady decline of the yellowhead population in these beech forests is the presence of rodents like rats and stoats. These predators find their way into the yellowhead nest located in tree holes, eating the eggs, and often killing the parents. Due to this, major conservation steps have been taken to protect this species, including rodent control. However, Rodent control is not always possible in the wild, hence, these predators continue to be the largest threat to the yellowhead. Adult yellowheads are a solitary species, and they mostly keep to themselves. However, during the breeding season, adult yellowheads form monogamous pairs. In addition to the forest of the South Island, Yellowheads can also be found in Fiordland and Otago.For more relatable content, check out these green mango facts and kestrel bird facts for kids.

What do they prey on? Caterpillars, spiders, worms

What do they eat? Invertebrates

Average litter size? N/A

How much do they weigh? 0.067 lb (30 g)

How long are they? 5.9 in (15 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Yellow with brown feathers

Skin Type Feathers

What were their main threats? Humans, Rats, Stoats, Possums

What is their conservation status? Endangered

Where you’ll find them? Forests Of New Zealand’s South Island And Stewart Island

Locations New Zealand

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Mohoua

Class Aves

Family Mohouidae

Yellowhead Interesting FactsWhat type of animal is a yellowhead?The yellowhead is a bird belonging to the Mouhouidae family and Mohoua genus.What class of animal does a yellowhead belong to?The yellowhead is a bird that belongs to the class Aves.How many yellowheads are there in the world?The yellowhead is an endangered species that is native to the South Island in New Zealand. It is estimated that there are currently less than 5000 yellowheads in New Zealand today.Where do yellowheads live?Yellowheads are endemic to the South Island and Stewart Island of New Zealand. Other species that are endemic to New Zealand include the Kakapo, the Kiwi, and the Kea Parrot.What is a yellowhead’s habitat?The yellowhead bird has a forest habitat. They are found in the beech forests of the South Island.Who do yellowheads live with?Yellowheads are a solitary species, and hence, are most commonly found alone. However, they are a social species during breeding season.How long does a yellowhead live?The yellowhead has an average lifespan of about five years in the wild. However, this species has been observed to live up to 12 years in captivity.How do they reproduce?Yellowheads are oviparous in nature, which means that they reproduce by means of eggs. The breeding season of the Yellowhead is in the spring and summer. Yellowheads are a monogamous species, which means that they breed with only one mate for life. However, they are often seen in helper roles at other nests. The nest of the yellowhead is in the form of a cavity made out of fibrous material, lined with feathers and located inside a tree. A yellowhead female bird lays around 1-4 eggs at a time. These eggs are then incubated by the mother for 18-22 days before they finally hatch.What is their conservation status?The yellowhead population is dwindling at only 5000 yellowheads alive today. Hence, they have been classified as Endangered by the IUCN.Yellowhead Fun FactsWhat do yellowheads look like?The yellowhead is a small songbird with a yellow head, body and brown feathers. It also has a brown back, wings, and tail. It has a pale, white underbelly, and have a spiky but tattered looking tail. It’s beak and legs are a dark black color.*Please note that this is a picture of a yellowhammer, a similar bird. If you have a picture of a yellowhead, please let us know at [email protected]How cute are they?Yellowheads are very cute birds, due to their bright colors, small size and melodic sounds. They are considered to be a treasure of the Islands of New Zealand.How do they communicate?The yellowheads of New Zealand are famous song birds and communicate by means of auditory signals. They are known for their unique calls, which sounds like a machine gun. Males also have a unique call that sounds like a melody or a musical sound. Females have a very distinct buzzing sound as their characteristic call.How big is a yellowhead?The yellowhead is a small island bird that reaches a maximum length of 5.9 in (15 cm) and a maximum weight of 0.067 lb (30 g). This makes them almost the same size as the umbrella bird.How fast can a yellowhead fly?The exact speed of a yellowhead is not known. However, it is speculated that they can fly very quickly and can catch prey very accurately.How much does a yellowhead weigh?The yellowhead is a small bird, and weighs a maximum weight of 0.067 lb (30 g).What are the male and female names of the species?There are no specific names for the males and females of this species. They are simply referred to as male or female.What would you call a baby yellowhead?Baby yellowheads are simply referred to as juveniles or chicks.What do they eat?Yellowheads consume invertebrates especially caterpillars and spiders. They occasionally take small fruit.Yellowheads are carnivorous in nature, and they catch invertebrates like caterpillars, spiders and worms. Rarely, they can be seen eating certain small fruits. These birds mostly fall prey to bigger predators such as stoats and rats. They are also under threat of habitat loss due to human activities.Are they dangerous?No, yellowheads are small birds and they only attack invertebrates. Hence, they are not considered to be dangerous to humans.Would they make a good pet?Yellowheads have a very dwindling population, and are classified as endangered species. Hence, it is not advisable to take these birds out of their natural forest and island habitat.Did you know…Yellowheads are often confused with the male yellowhammer birds, which are small birds that also have a bright yellow head. However, an interesting fact is that yellowheads never leave the forests that they live in, as they are not migratory birds. Similarly, the yellowhammer birds never enter the beech forests that the yellowheads live in. Another bird that often gets confused with the yellowhead is the brown-creeper. The brown creeper and yellowhead are both popular hosts for the long tailed cockatoo. These cockatoos are known for laying their eggs in the yellowheads nest.Since yellowheads use tree holes as their nests, this puts them at risk of being attacked by tree climbing predators. Tree holes as nests make yellowheads and their eggs extremely vulnerable to predators like rats and stoats. In fact, rats and stoats are the main reason for the decline of the yellowhead population. In the year 2000, yellowheads were also found in the Marlborough sounds. However, rats and stoats killed and drove out every yellowhead on the Island. On islands where there is a healthy rodent population, yellowheads are often decimated. However, on Islands with a low rodent population, yellowheads thrive and breed in abundance. With proper rodent control, yellowheads can thrive without any major threats.Are yellowheads endemic?Yes, yellowheads are endemic to the South Islands and Stewart Islands of New Zealand. This means that New Zealand is the only place that these birds can be found.The yellowhead’s callYellowheads are known for their unique and characteristic calls. This includes a machine gun sounding call that is used by both the males and females. In addition to this, males and females have their own separate calls. Males are known for their melodic, musical sounding holler and females are known for their distinct buzz sounding hollers.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these frigate bird facts and giant kingfisher facts pages.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable birds nest coloring pages.

What type of animal is a yellowhead?

The yellowhead is a bird belonging to the Mouhouidae family and Mohoua genus.

Fun Yellowhead Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Caterpillars, spiders, worms

What do they eat? Invertebrates

Average litter size? N/A

How much do they weigh? 0.067 lb (30 g)

How long are they? 5.9 in (15 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Yellow with brown feathers

Skin Type Feathers

What were their main threats? Humans, Rats, Stoats, Possums

What is their conservation status? Endangered

Where you’ll find them? Forests Of New Zealand’s South Island And Stewart Island

Locations New Zealand

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Mohoua

Class Aves

Family Mohouidae

Fun Yellowhead Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Caterpillars, spiders, worms

What do they eat? Invertebrates

Average litter size? N/A

How much do they weigh? 0.067 lb (30 g)

How long are they? 5.9 in (15 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Yellow with brown feathers

Skin Type Feathers

What were their main threats? Humans, Rats, Stoats, Possums

What is their conservation status? Endangered

Where you’ll find them? Forests Of New Zealand’s South Island And Stewart Island

Locations New Zealand

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Mohoua

Class Aves

Family Mohouidae

Fun Yellowhead Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Caterpillars, spiders, worms

What do they eat? Invertebrates

Average litter size? N/A

How much do they weigh? 0.067 lb (30 g)

How long are they? 5.9 in (15 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Yellow with brown feathers

Skin Type Feathers

What were their main threats? Humans, Rats, Stoats, Possums

What is their conservation status? Endangered

Where you’ll find them? Forests Of New Zealand’s South Island And Stewart Island

Locations New Zealand

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Mohoua

Class Aves

Family Mohouidae