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Story: Small forest birds

Old Blue

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Old Blue

In 1979 the black robin of the Chatham Islands was on the brink of extinction, with only five birds left. When the Wildlife Service intervened to rescue them in 1980, there was only one female who could lay fertile eggs. She became known as Old Blue. Today there are about 250 living black robins – all of them her descendants.

Using this item

Department of Conservation

Reference: 10032084

by Don Merton

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How to cite this page

Christina Troup, Small forest birds – Robins and tomtits, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/12485/old-blue (accessed 3 June 2026).

Story by Christina Troup, published 1 March 2009, updated 1 August 2023.