Despite their size, these birds have a good set of lungs on them and can be found in noisy flocks flitting through the canopy. In the North Island the pōpokatea/ whitehead is the main host to the koekoeā/long-tailed cuckoo who lays its eggs in their nest. Once hatched, the young koekoeā  then evicts the host’s eggs and chicks and is raised alone. The pōpokatea continues to feed the koekoeā as if it was their own, even though it is much larger than themselves!