' s ▁w ren ▁also ▁indicate ▁flight less ness . ▁Contempor ary ▁accounts ▁of ▁the ▁Ly all ' s ▁wr ens ▁on ▁Steph ens ▁Island ▁describe ▁the ▁species ▁as ▁sc ur ry ing ▁on ▁the ▁ground ▁rather ▁than ▁flying . ▁ ▁Distribution ▁and ▁habitat ▁The ▁New ▁Zealand ▁wr ens ▁are ▁en demic ▁and ▁restricted ▁to ▁the ▁main ▁and ▁off sh ore ▁islands ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand ; ▁they ▁have ▁not ▁been ▁found ▁on ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁outer ▁islands ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Ch ath am ▁Islands ▁or ▁the ▁Ker ma dec ▁Islands . ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁humans ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand ▁( about ▁A . D . ▁ 1 2 8 0 ), ▁they ▁had ▁a ▁w ides p read ▁distribution ▁across ▁both ▁the ▁North ▁and ▁South ▁Islands ▁and ▁on ▁Stewart ▁Island / R aki ura . ▁The ▁range ▁of ▁the ▁rif le man ▁and ▁bush w ren ▁included ▁southern ▁be ech ▁forest ▁and ▁pod oc arp - bro ad leaf ▁forest , ▁with ▁the ▁range ▁of ▁the ▁bush w ren ▁also ▁including ▁coast al ▁forest ▁and ▁scr ub , ▁particularly ▁the ▁Stewart ▁Island ▁sub species . ▁The ▁New ▁Zealand ▁rock ▁w ren ▁is ▁special ised ▁for ▁the ▁al pine ▁environment , ▁in ▁areas ▁of ▁low ▁scr ub ▁and ▁sc ree ▁from ▁ 9 0 0 ▁m ▁up ▁to ▁ 2 , 4 0 0 ▁m . ▁Con tr ary ▁to ▁its ▁other ▁common ▁name ▁( the ▁South ▁Island ▁w ren ), ▁foss il ▁evidence ▁shows ▁it ▁was ▁more ▁w ides p read ▁in