The saddleback or tīeke belongs to New Zealand's unique wattlebird family, an ancient group which includes the kōkako and huia. North Island saddlebacks have striking black plumage, a chestnut saddle across their back, bright reddish-orange wattles (that get larger with age) and a thin pale yellow band on the leading edge of the saddle. Saddlebacks are often heard before they are seen as they call frequently, and are active, noisy foragers. They use their bill as an anvil to chip away at rotten wood, burrowing into leaf litter, trunks and leaves. Utilising the forest floor to the leafy canopy above, Saddlebacks often feed in the company of fantails and silvereyes. They are relatively weak fliers, but have very stout legs that are used whilst feeding and for bounding through vegetation