Takahē
flightless bird from New Zealand / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The takahē or South Island takahē (Porphyrio hochstetteri) is a bird. It lives in South Island, New Zealand. There are two species, and they are commonly called rails. Its family is the Rallidae. It is the largest living rail species in the world. The two species are also known as notornis.
Takahē | |
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On Tiritiri Matangi Island | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Gruiformes |
Family: | Rallidae |
Genus: | Porphyrio |
Species: | P. hochstetteri |
Binomial name | |
Porphyrio hochstetteri (A. B. Meyer, 1883) | |
Distribution of South Island takahe, including sanctuaries | |
Synonyms | |
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The takahe cannot fly.[3]
Adults are 2.3 – 3.8 kg. They have red legs and a red beak. Their feathers are different shades of blue and green: dark blue on the head and neck, lighter blue on the shoulders. The feathers on the wings and back can be iridescent. Takahē cannot fly, so they were hunted extensively by the Māori.[3]
Takahē live in grassy places. They eat the starchy parts of grassy plants: tussock and sedge plants. In the winter, they go to the forests and look for food there.[3]
Wild takahē can live for 16-18 years, and a little longer in zoos.[3]