The mohua and pōpokatea are canary-like songbirds and unwitting hosts of the parasitic long-tailed cuckoo. The mohua and pōpokatea are two closely related, sparrow-sized songbirds and are the most luminous feathered jewels of our native forests. The mohua or yellowhead is as vivid as kōwhai flowers, and the pōpokatea or whitehead is as bright as […]
About the author
Michael Szabo
Michael Szabo is the author of Wild Wellington and Native Birds of Aotearoa, editor of Birds New Zealand magazine, and writes for Greenpeace Aotearoa. He has explored all 14 national parks, the Chatham Islands and the Subantarctic Islands. He has also written for New Scientist, NZ Geographic, Sunday Star Times and The Listener, and is a former editor of Forest & Bird magazine. He has a joint honours degree in communications and cultural studies from the University of Leeds. His favourite food is bagels.
The 2026 Wilderness Outdoor Photographer of the Year competition
A tale of adventure and tragedy
25 huts to visit in 2025
A lofty location for Brass Monkey
Why we’re putting on weight
Subscribe!
Each issue of Wilderness celebrates Aotearoa’s great outdoors — written and photographed with care, not algorithms.Subscribe and help keep our wild stories alive.
