More information about takahē | 台北市立動物園資訊網

Unlikethepukeko,takahēarecompletelyflightless.Theircolourrangesfromaniridescentdarkblueonthehead,neckandbreast,andpeacockblueshoulders,to ...

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). New Zealand used to have two species of takahē. The other was the even larger moho, or North Island takahē (P. mantelli) but this species went extinct in the late 19th century.

By the late 1890s the South Island takahē were also considered to be extinct until they were rediscovered in 1948 in a remote Fiordland valley. Their natural range is now confined to the Murchison Mountains in Fiordland National Park. Thanks to an intensive programme of captive breeding, translocations, stoat control and deer culling, spearheaded by the Department of Conservation, the takahē population has seen a gradual increase.  As of 2017 the total population was close to 350 birds.

Unlik...