Songbirds are all around us today. So common, that it is hard to believe that any could become extinct. Of course, this is far from the case, as no species lasts forever. Here, we see the Bushwren, a near flightless species found in each of the major islands of New Zealand and many of the smaller islands. As a result of it’s lack of full flight ability and small size (being only 9cm long), mammal predators introduced by humanity meant that all subspecies were wiped out quickly, last seen on North island in 1955, South island in 1968 and, in spite of efforts to save the species, Stewart island in 1972. There is only one model to commemorate the species, by Yowie, referring to it as the Slender Bush Wren.
Onto the figure itself! The pose is pretty dynamic, as if doing some sort of mating dance, I really like it. While made by building the model, like other Yowie figures, it lacks any articulation. As with the species, it’s pretty small, measuring 2″ long and 1.1″ high, making it only slightly smaller than the actually animal. The colourations are a slightly simpler version of the actual species, with light green and grey, though lacking many patterns that is seen on the species, like a white underbelly, stipes and spot patterns. Not bad.
Now to accuracy. The small size, beak and tailfeathers are perfect, along with the long legs. These legs are a little thick, but this is understandable, as if they were thinner it would easily break. Not to bad, if simple.
Overall, this is a nice little figure, if a little simple in comparison to the species it is based on. It is the only model of the species, but honestly, it’s a worthwhile one. It is long discontinued, so eBay is gonna be the best place to find it, and I think it is worth it, a great memorial to this lost species.
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