New Zealand Wrens: Acanthisittidae

New Zealand wrens are weak fliers, with soft songs and calls. When landing on a perch from a short flight they often bob their body up and down. Their breeding season is from August to March. They are monogamous (muh-NAH-guh-mus), having only one mate, birds that form long-lasting pair bonds. The mating pair builds a complex nest in tree and rock crevices, narrow cracks or openings, in tree hollows or behind loose bark, in holes within tree trunks, earthen banks, walls within human-made structures, and fence posts, and sometimes on the ground in protected places. The nest consists of loosely woven materials such as moss, roots, leaves, ferns, and plant debris. There is a side entrance into the nest, which is often lined with feathers. Females usually lay two to five white eggs. Males feed nesting females and both parents feed their young. After the young leave the nest, they remain with the parents for several weeks.