North Island Tomtit and Wire netting bush

Did you know that New Zealand has 5 sub-species of Tomtit, each restricted to their own specific island or island group? 

North Island Tomtits (Miromiro) are currently not a threatened species, however their numbers are dropping but not at the same rate as the Snares Island and Chatham Island Tomtits. 

While numbers remain more stable, these little guys tend to inhabit less densely populated areas of bush and shrubland. They are quick, curious little things and have their fast spiraling movements to thank for their Māori name which means ‘to twist or twirl rapidly’. They have sharp eyes and it is thought they can spot and insect up to 10m away from them! 

In Maori Mythology it is said that after his death Maui manifested himself to humans through the form of a miromiro, and it would have his voice. Since Maui had a connection to the underworld, to cast a love charm a husband could go to a tohunga and using a miromiro as a medium and the messenger the tohanga could cast a love charm. The miromiro would fly to wherever the wife may be and perch on her head and gently it would propel her back to her husband.

The wire netting bush or Korokio is a hardy shrub that grows best in lowland hills, scrublands and river flats and is not found naturally west of the Southern Alps. The leaves from Korokio can be used in ceremony to lift tapu from foods and historically the hard wiry wood from the intertwined branches were used to create fishhooks and knives. The leaves are said to have medicinal properties and when boiled down into a tonic can be used to stomach complaints and ulcers.