This unique bird is native to New Zealand, where it lives in lowland marshes. While it is similar to a Pukeko, another swamp chicken thing, the Takahe is larger and stockier. Cory and I found this bird while on a trip to the Sanctuary Mountain Bird Sanctuary.
Sanctuary Mountain is inclusive of a small lowland marsh and the better part of the Maungatautari mountain, and is located 3 hours south of Auckland, NZ. Cory and I took a guided hike through the Marsh when we came across the Takahe. Its height was roughly up to my thigh when standing up alert. I thought this was fairly impressive, but Cory reminded me that I am short and that most things would appear larger to me.
The Takahe, like the Pukeko and the Australian Casuary, are flightless birds that spend much of there time grazing. While the Pukeko are plentiful along the roadways of New Zealand, the Takahe that we saw at the sanctuary are thought to be 4 of the estimated 400 remaining individuals in the entire world. Apparently invasive species to New Zealand such as the Pacific rat and dogs brought by the first humans to reach the islands are the cause of the Takahe decline. Shortly after being greeted by this first Takahe, following through the ponds, came three adolescent chicks. We were able to watch as they foraged around the tall grass for insects or whatever was on the menu.
The sanctuary did have an important feature protecting these and other rare native bird species of New Zealand. It has a climb proof and multilayered woven fence in order to keep out ground predators like rats, dogs, mongoose etc. When devising the sanctuary the conservators built the fence and set numerous traps around the mountain to capture or kill all of the invasive species not native to New Zealand. Once the conservators were sure of the habitat, they began relocating endangered, native, New Zealand species. Apparently this approach has worked, and Sanctuary Mountain has become an institution where unique New Zealand wildlife have a chance to survive and regenerate their numbers.
Walking in the lowland marsh was kind of leisurely and relaxing, the subtropical forest that adorned the mountain of sanctuary mountain, was less leisurely, and I almost had Cory carry me out, but that is another story.
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