Description
Titipounamu ~ Dawn Dancers of the Canopy
As the first light begins to slip across the upper branches of the beech forest, a faint tremor of sound stirs the stillness. It’s the subsonic call of the Titipounamu, Aotearoa’s smallest bird; a whisper so soft that only those with sharp hearing ever catch it. No bigger than an adult’s thumb and weighing barely 6 grams, these tiny forest sprites live life in perpetual motion.
At dawn, they rise to the very top of the canopy, where the first rays of sun warm their delicate feathers. From this high perch, they begin their daily descent, drifting through the trees like leaves falling in slow motion. Every movement is purposeful. Every branch, every curled leaf, every patch of moss is inspected with astonishing precision.
Their survival depends on it. With a metabolism that burns through energy at a remarkable rate, Titipounamu must feed almost constantly, tiny beaks snapping up insects, spiders, and caterpillars hidden deep in the forest’s textured layers. A single missed meal can mean the difference between thriving and fading.
Despite their size, they are hardy, determined birds. They flit through the forest with a kind of quiet confidence, their emerald plumage catching flashes of light as they work methodically from treetop to forest floor. In Māori tradition, they are often seen as messengers, small in form, but carrying significance far beyond their size.
Spend long enough in the forest at first light, and you may be lucky enough to witness them: these miniature guardians of the canopy, beginning another day of tireless foraging beneath the warming sun.
Female and Male Rifleman – Upper Hutt, New Zealand
Camera Settings
- ƒ/5.6
- 1/200
- ISO 320
- EV 0
- FL 400 mm
Location
This Rifleman photograph was taken at Mount Climie, Pakuratahi Forest, north of Upper Hutt, New Zealand, at around 2,600 feet above sea level
Print Size & Specs
Rifleman
Limited Edition Photo ~ By Tony Stoddard
Medium Print:
Paper Size 420 x 420mm
Image size 360 x 360mm
Edition Number 10
*Unframed
Shipping
Please allow a minimum of 4 working days from printing to shipping. Photos are printed to order, signed, and numbered.
For print safety, larger prints will be shipped in a tube. Tracking details will be emailed as soon as your order is ready to ship.
Fine Art Print
Each limited-edition photo fine art print is signed and numbered.
Photos are archival pigment prints on Fine Art Smooth Cotton Rag 330gsm. Professionally printed by: Print Art – Fine Art Imaging
Helping to support our native birds
A portion of every print sold will be donated to The Nest Te Kōhanga, a wildlife hospital that’s dedicated to caring for New Zealand’s native species since 2009.
$1,648.00
Donated to The Nest Te Kōhanga
A massive thank you to everyone who has helped me raise funds to support the team at The Nest Te Kōhanga at Wellington Zoo. Your generosity makes a real difference.
A percentage of every limited‑edition print or photo purchased from my website will continue to support the incredible work The Nest Te Kōhanga undertakes to help rehabilitate our injured native birds and return them to the wild.
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