• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
Turbott, E.G. 1990. Checklist of the Birds of New Zealand. Ornithological Society of New Zealand, Wellington.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	A2ce+3ce+4ce	A2ce+3ce+4ce

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2022	Endangered	A2ce+3ce+4ce
2016	Endangered	A3ce+4ce
2012	Vulnerable	C1+2a(i)
2008	Vulnerable	C1; C2a(i)
2005	Vulnerable
2004	Near Threatened
2000	Lower Risk/Near Threatened
1994	Lower Risk/Near Threatened
1988	Lower Risk/Least Concern

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type		Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	79,900 km2	medium
Severely fragmented?	yes	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	1250-6000, 5000 mature individuals	medium	suspected	2020
Population trend	decreasing	medium	inferred	2017-2027
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	50-70%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	50-70%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	50-70%	-	-	-
Generation length	2.66 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	3	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	1-89%	-	-	-

Population justification: The population was previously estimated to number 2,500-9,999 mature individuals (R. Hitchmough in litt. 2005). Robertson et al. (2021), assessing the species according to criteria elucidated in Townsend et al. (2008), placed the southern subspecies in the band 1,000-5,000 mature individuals and the northern subspecies in the band 250-1,000. The total population is best estimated to number c.5,000 mature individuals (Gill and Sharpe 2020).

Trend justification: Predation by stoats causes extremely high rates of nest failure and are thought to be causing significant declines (Little et al. 2017). Sightings in Mount Cook National Park have declined markedly since the 1980s and early 1990s (Michelsen-Heath and Gaze 2007). In 2005, at 20% of known localities there were no sightings in the past 20 years (P. Gaze per R. Hitchmough in litt. 2005). Its range continues to decline (Michelsen-Heath and Gaze 2007) and a 40% decline in abundance over a 20-year period occurred in the Murchison mountains (Willians 2007). Since 2012, the species is suspected to have been undergoing steeper declines equivalent to 50-70% in ten years and this is thought to be continuing (Robertson et al. 2013, 2017, 2021).

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
New Zealand	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Grassland	Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude	suitable	resident
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)		suitable	resident
Shrubland	Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude	major	resident
Shrubland	Temperate	major	resident
Wetlands (inland)	Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls)	suitable	resident
Altitude	900 - 2400 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Climate change & severe weather	Other impacts	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Mus musculus	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Reduced reproductive success
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Mustela erminea	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Rapid Declines		Medium Impact: 7
		Stresses Species mortality

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: New Zealand Rockwren Xenicus gilviventris. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/new-zealand-rockwren-xenicus-gilviventris on 22/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/12/2024.