This forest bird is endemic to New Zealand. Its naturally surviving population is on Little Barrier Island; managed populations have been translocated elsewhere.
The male has a black head with white ear tufts and a yellow neck-and-shoulder band. The female is olive-brown to gray-brown. Both sexes have bold white wing bars, a slender down-curved bill, and a cocked tail.
In mature native forest and other suitable sites, it feeds on nectar, fruit, and invertebrates. The proportions vary with season and food availability.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.