Johannes Gerardus Keulemans

The forest-dwelling tīeke belongs to Aotearoa New Zealand's unique wattlebird family, an ancient group that includes the endangered kōkako and extinct huia. Once abundant, it declined sharply following the arrival of people, due to introduced predators and habitat loss. Separate tīeke species live in our two largest islands, with the most endangered South Island variety depicted here in adult and juvenile (jackbird) form. Tīeke came close to extinction in the 1960s, saved only through the efforts of the New Zealand Wildlife Service and local iwi. Johannes Gerardus Keulemans was a renowned bird artist, famed for his accuracy. He illustrated Walter Lawry Buller’s 1873 book A History of the Birds of New Zealand but never came here, instead working from specimens and stuffed birds provided by Buller.

tīeke ~ saddleback

iw ~i tribes

(He Kapuka Oneone – A Handful of Soil, 2025)