Can dietary specialization be used for conservation? Foraging and ecological restoration by hihi (Notiomystis cincta)

While it is now widely acknowledged that individuals within species behave differently even when faced with similar environmental challenges, few studies have identified how this variation arises and what impacts it has on the environment itself. This is critical to consider given that the ecosystems species inhabit are often under threat. The hihi (Notiomystis cincta), a threatened New Zealand passerine and important pollinator of native plants, provides an excellent model for investigating the causes and consequences of specialization through the lens of foraging. Following near-extinction around 1890, hihi have been reintroduced to several island and mainland sites, but habitat suitabili…