Takahe is a flightless bird of almost 50 centimeters
The large flightless bird called Takahe, thought to have gone extinct decades ago, has returned to the forests of New Zealand’s South Island, The Guardian reported. Last week, 18 Takahe were released into the South Island mountains in an effort to boost a small population into the wild.
The return of these prehistoric creatures to the wild marks an important moment for conservation efforts in the region. These birds were reintroduced to the Lake Wakatipu Valley, a mountain region in the South Island, where they hadn’t been seen for nearly a century, the Guardian reported.
Takahe is a flightless bird measuring nearly 50 centimeters and has been an intrinsic part of New Zealand’s ecosystem since the prehistoric Pleistocene, as evidenced by fossil remains, the report said. The chubby birds have a strong red beak, sturdy legs and bright blue and green feathers. They grow to the size of a large chicken and weigh no less than 3 kg.
“They almost look prehistoric,” says Tumai Cassidy of Ngai Tahu. “Very broad and powerful.” From the front, their bodies can appear almost perfectly spherical – when combined with the blue-green plumage, they look like a model planet Earth, perched atop two long, bright red legs.
According to a BBC report, the birds breed once a year and raise one to two chicks. They can live up to 18 years in the wild and 22 years in reserves. They eat starchy leaves and seeds.
According to the media report, Waitaa and Bendigo joined an existing pair of takahe. New Zealand’s native birds evolved before the emergence of mammals and are vulnerable to predation from land predators introduced by human settlers.
“After decades of hard work to increase the takahe population, it’s worth focusing now on establishing more wild populations, but it comes with challenges,” Doc’s Deidre Vercoe said after the release of previous week.
“Establishing new wild native species populations can take time and success is not guaranteed. If we want Takahe to thrive, we need to explore new locations and learn as much as we can to protect the birds now and in the future.”
