Meet the Tītipounamu or Rifleman
The Rifleman, or Tītipounamu, is Aotearoa's smallest native bird - a tiny forest dweller named for the bright green plumage of the male, said to resemble the jackets of early colonial riflemen. Weighing just 6 grams, with males measuring only 7 centimetres, it is one of New Zealand's most delicate and distinctive natives.
Tītipounamu are constantly on the move, gleaning insects from crevices and mosses along the trunks and branches of native trees. Relatively poor flyers, they move through the forest in short bursts - canopy to canopy - rather than sustained flight. Their name can be translated as "mirage of pounamu greenstone," a reference to the male's brilliant plumage, and they appear in many Māori stories as messengers of Tāne, atua of the forest.
Each Rifleman is handcrafted in Arrowtown by Jack Stobart - individually shaped from natural stone with carved timber and resin detailing. No two are exactly alike.
Each piece has a threaded bolt set into the base, so it can be displayed however suits your space — perched on a post or ledge, or mounted onto an M6 rod pushed into a garden bed or pot plant.
Approx. dimensions 20(h)x 15(w) x 20(d) cm
