They will tear pieces of bark from tree trunks to find insects beneath, which are then dispatched and consumed with their short, robust, and unusually strong beaks.

When a direct challenge is made to a bird's territory, fights can occur in which combatants attempt to grapple with the wattles of their foe.

Their cheeky nature is reflected in the Māori legend that tells of how the birds acquired its distinctive chestnut coloured saddle.

Fresh from his battle to ensnare the sun, a thirsty Māui (a virtual demi-god in Māori folklore) asked the tīeke to bring him some water.

The bird rudely pretended not to hear his request, at which Māui, becoming angry, seized it with his still fiery hand, leaving a brown scorch mark across its back.

Rats arrived on Big South Cape Island in 1963, accidentally introduced as they escaped from the boats of visiting muttonbirders.

Since roughly 2015, sporadic sightings and evidence of breeding has been confirmed in Polhill Reserve, which neighbours the fenced Zealandia wildlife sanctuary.