The two species of saddleback had each been reduced to a small population on a single island: Hen Island for the North Island saddleback, and Big South Cape Island off Stewart Island for the South Island saddleback. After a programme of translocation to other predator-free island reserves, the population of the South Island saddleback has increased from 36 birds to over 1,200 birds on 15 islands. The North Island subspecies had increased from 500 birds to over 6,000 birds on 12 islands. This has taken both subspecies from critically endangered on the IUCN Red List to near threatened for the South Island saddleback and least concern for the North Island saddleback.