What do takahe look like?

Takahē have stout red legs and a large, strong red beak. Their feathers range from a dark royal blue head, neck and breast, to peacock blue shoulders, through to shades of iridescent turquoise and olive green on their wings and back.

What bird is the takahe related to?

The takahē is the largest living member of the rail family and the biggest flightless bird to survive in New Zealand. Takahē are found only in New Zealand. They belong to the Rallidae (rail) family of birds, as do their lookalike but lighter-built cousins, the pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio).

How tall is a takahe?

around 50 cm
The takahē is the largest living member of the family Rallidae. Its overall length averages 63 cm (25 in) and its average weight is about 2.7 kg (6.0 lb) in males and 2.3 kg (5.1 lb) in females, ranging from 1.8–4.2 kg (4.0–9.3 lb). Its standing height is around 50 cm (20 in).

How many takahe are left in New Zealand?

Takahē may be flightless but their population is flying high with the official count reaching 418 after a record breeding season that produced an estimated 65 juveniles, the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage announced today.

Where can I see a takahe?

In the wild, takahē only exist in the Murchison Mountains, Fiordland National Park and more recently Gouland Downs in Kahurangi National Park.

Are takahe native to New Zealand?

Three species of Porphyrio are indigenous to New Zealand – the extinct North Island takahē (Porphyrio mantelli), the South Island takahē (Porphyrio hochstetteri) and the pūkeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus).

How many Takahē are left in NZ 2021?

There are still only about 400 takahē, but the numbers increase every year – great considering the bird was long thought extinct.

Where can I see takahe?

When did takahe arrive in New Zealand?

In 1847, Walter Mantell was the first European to find moho/takahē bones in the North Island. In 1894, Māori elders identified the skin of a large blue bird caught in the Ruahine Range as a mohoau.

How did pukeko arrive in New Zealand?

He says some birds that are deemed to be native, for example pukeko and harrier hawks, have no fossil trace before Polynesian settler arrived in NZ. “It’s likely that pukeko flew here from Australia after Polynesian settlement and the clearance of a lot of our lowland forests, making all this nice open pukeko habitat.

Where are takahē found in NZ?

Murchison Mountains
In the wild, takahē only exist in the Murchison Mountains, Fiordland National Park and more recently Gouland Downs in Kahurangi National Park.

When did takahē arrive in New Zealand?

Are there any Takahe birds in New Zealand?

As with many New Zealand birds, one of the biggest threats to takahē survival is introduced predators. One of the features of the Murchison Mountains is the absence of cats, ferrets or dogs.

Where did the Takahe from New Zealand come from?

Takahē living in the South Island trace their ancestry back to a different lineage of Porphyrio porphyrio, possibly from Africa, and represent a separate and earlier invasion of New Zealand by swamphens which subsequently evolved large size and flightlessness.

How many birds of New Zealand are there?

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What kind of habitat does a takahe live in?

Adult feeding a chick. The takahē is a sedentary and flightless bird currently found in alpine grasslands habitats. It is territorial and remains in the grassland until the arrival of snow, when it descends to the forest or scrub.