---
title: "North Island Saddleback"
description: "Philesturnus rufusater — Uccelli. The North Island saddleback (Philesturnus rufusater) is a forest-dwelling passerine bird species endemic to the North Island of New Zealand."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/it/animal/north-island-saddleback
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# North Island Saddleback

> Philesturnus rufusater — Uccelli. The North Island saddleback (Philesturnus rufusater) is a forest-dwelling passerine bird species endemic to the North Island of New Zealand.

- Scientific name: *Philesturnus rufusater*
- Category: `birds` (Uccelli)
- Habitats: `forest` (Foresta)
- iNaturalist observations: 2208
- Wikidata: [Q15894259](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15894259)
- iNaturalist taxon: [464301](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/464301)

## Names

- en: North Island Saddleback
- de: Nordinsel-Sattelvogel
- es: Tieke de la Isla Norte
- fr: Créadion de Lesson
- nl: Noordelijke zadelrug
- pl: Kurobród północny

## Countries with the most observations

NZ (2089)

## Summary

The North Island saddleback (Philesturnus rufusater) 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.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Island_saddleback

## Photo

![North Island Saddleback](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/north-island-saddleback/medium.jpg)

Photo: georgiasteel · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/69834763

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/north-island-saddleback?lang=it` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).