Stitchbird
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- Work cat.: Angehr, G.R. Stitchbird, 1985.
- Rasch, G. The behavioural ecology and management of the stitchbird, 1985.
- Aotearoa/New Zealand thesaurus, 1992.
- Annotated checklist of the birds of New Zealand, 1970.
- Web. 3(stitchbird, a nearly extinct honeyeater, Notiomystis cincta of North Island, N.Z.)
- Chambers, S. Birds of N.Z., c1989:p. 418 (common name: Stitchbird; family: Meliphagidae; species: Notiomystis cincta)
- Foord, M. The N.Z. descriptive animal dict., c1990(Stitchbird; Notiomystis cincta; an endemic honeyeater; other names: Hihi, Matakiore, Tihe, Kotihe, Kotihewera, Tiora, Tiheora, Honeybird)
- Talbot-Kelly, C. Collins handguide to the birds of N.Z., 1982:p. 109 (Stitchbird; Notiomystis cincta)
The stitchbird or hihi (Notiomystis cincta) is a honeyeater-like bird endemic to the North Island and adjacent offshore islands of New Zealand. Its evolutionary relationships have long puzzled ornithologists, but it is now classed as the only member of its own family, the Notiomystidae. It is rare, being extirpated everywhere except Little Barrier Island, but has been reintroduced to two other island sanctuaries and four locations on the North Island mainland. Current population estimations for mature individuals in the wild are 2,500–3,400. In addition to hihi, the stitchbird is also known by a number of other Māori names, including: tihi, ihi, tihe, kotihe, tiora, tiheora, tioro, kotihe-wera (male only), hihi-paka (male only), hihi-matakiore (female only), mata-kiore (female only), tihe-kiore (female only).
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