New Zealand Takahē
The Takahē (Porphyrio hochsterreri) is endemic to New Zealand (NZ). It is also the largest living rail (small to medium-sized ground-dwelling birds with short wings, large feet and long toes) and the biggest flightless bird to survive in NZ. The Takahē has been around for about 8 million years. However, the North Island Takahē (Porphyrio mantelli) became extinct in the late 19th century due to human hunting, habitat loss and competition for food.
In late 1890, the South Island Takahē was believed to be extinct. However, they were rediscovered in 1948 in a remote Fiordland valley.
South Island Takahē was once widespread throughout the South Island. However, due to hunting, predation, and habitat loss, the remaining few moved to safety in the mountains of Fiordland. Takahē live in pairs or small family groups.


Characteristics
They are striking birds with iridescent blue, dark blue, teal, aqua and olive green feathers. Their large red beak and red legs with large claws make for beautiful birds. Young chicks are fluffy and black. Their sharp beaks are well-designed for cutting and stripping vegetation, mainly the tough tussock grass.

Despite being flightless birds, they have wings but only use them for display during courtship or as a show of aggression. Their lifespan is 16–18 years in the wild and 20–22 years in sanctuaries, which is a long time for a bird, and they weigh between 2.3 – 3.8 kg.
Habitat
In the wild, they live in native grasslands.
Diet
Their diet consists mainly of starchy leaf bases of tussock, sedge grasses, and tussock seeds when available. During winter, with the snow-covered ground, they will move to the forests and feed mainly on underground rhizomes of the green ferns. However, they eat moths, beetles, wetas, ducklings, and lizards.

Breeding
Takahē usually lays two eggs during the breeding season, between October and January, but only one chick will survive. Both males and females will share the incubation and chick rearing. Incubation takes 30 days. Chicks remain in the nest for about a week until they become more robust and can climb out and follow their parent. Both parents feed their chick tussock shoots. Chicks stay with their parents until the following breeding season, sometimes longer. Takahē is very territorial and will defend its breeding territory.

Conservation – Endangered
Population: current numbers are 50 – 249, increasing (IUCN March 2020).
New Zealand has created several predator-free Takahē Recovery breeding programs scattered throughout the North and South Islands and a few protected islands with no predators. Captive breeding programs have been running successfully for the past 70 years. As a result, the Takahē numbers are increasing slowly by about 10% annually. When the Takahē lays its two eggs, conservationists take the second egg to incubate, hatch and hand-raise the chicks. Takahē are slowly being relocated back into their original predator-free habitats.
Threats
Stoats prey on the eggs and chicks, and wild deer compete with them for food. Stoat trapping and culling continue to keep the stoat population under control. As a result, the wild deer population is also controlled, allowing the tussock grasses to regenerate and providing the much-needed nutrients for the Takahē.

Where to see Takahē in New Zealand
Orokonui Wildlife Sanctuary in Dunedin and Zealandia Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellington, both of which are predator-free.
The pair of Takahē in Zealandia are called Nio and Orbell. They are past their breeding life but wander freely for everyone to see them. In Orokonui, in a large fenced area, they are easily visible.

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