The endangered stitchbird has been printed on a black background in shades of browns and yellows. The male has a velvety black head, upper breast and back, with white tufts behind the eyes, a bright yellow border across the breast and folded wings, with pale brown underparts. The female (not illustrated) is a greyish brown with white wingbars.
The birds are approximately 3" (8cm).

 

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100% cotton fabric x 110cm wide.
1 metre of fabric equals 39”.

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The stitchbird is a member of the honey eater family, and as such has a curved bill and a long tongue, frayed at the end like a brush, which is used to reach deeply into flowers and drink nectar. Like the other two New Zealand honey eaters, the Tui and the Bellbird, they feed on a mixture of nectar, fruit, and insects.
 

Interesting fact:

Stitchbirds have been extinct on the mainland of NZ since 1885 and now survive on just a few outlying islands. Between 1885 and 1980 they survived only on Little Barrier Island. Stitchbirds were first released on Tiri in 1995 and have successfully bred. The population on Tiri is now over 100 birds, with a total population of around 3000.