▁the ▁past ▁and ▁once ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁North ▁Island . ▁Ly all ' s ▁w ren ▁was ▁once ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁restricted ▁to ▁the ▁tiny ▁Steph ens ▁Island ▁in ▁Cook ▁Stra it , ▁but ▁foss il ▁evidence ▁has ▁shown ▁the ▁species ▁was ▁once ▁w ides p read ▁in ▁both ▁the ▁North ▁and ▁South ▁Islands . ▁The ▁st out - leg ged ▁w ren ▁was ▁similarly ▁found ▁on ▁both ▁islands , ▁but ▁foss ils ▁of ▁the ▁long - bil led ▁w ren ▁have ▁only ▁been ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁Island . ▁F oss ils ▁of ▁the ▁long - bil led ▁w ren ▁are ▁far ▁less ▁common ▁than ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁species , ▁in ▁fact , ▁its ▁b ones ▁are ▁the ▁r ar est ▁foss il ▁finds ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁wave ▁of ▁ext in ctions ▁and ▁range ▁contra ctions ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁m amm als ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁wr ens ▁have ▁a ▁much ▁reduced ▁range . ▁The ▁New ▁Zealand ▁rock ▁w ren ▁is ▁now ▁restricted ▁to ▁the ▁South ▁Island ▁and ▁is ▁decl ining ▁in ▁numbers . ▁The ▁range ▁of ▁the ▁rif le man ▁initially ▁contract ed ▁with ▁the ▁f elling ▁of ▁for ests ▁for ▁agricult ure , ▁but ▁it ▁has ▁also ▁expanded ▁its ▁range ▁of ▁habit ats ▁by ▁moving ▁into ▁plant ations ▁of ▁introduced ▁ex otic ▁p ines , ▁princip ally ▁the ▁Mon ter ey ▁p ine . ▁It ▁also ▁enters ▁other ▁human - mod ified ▁habitat ▁when ▁it ▁ad jo ins ▁native