Ecology: Phil's pic - the Takahe

Takah?, Porphyrio hochstetteri. Photo / Phil Brown

The Takahe is a flightless bird, found only in New Zealand.

Once thought to be extinct, there were only four sightings of the species between 1800 and 1900. In 1948 a few pairs were spotted by Dr Geoffrey Orbell in Murchison Mountains' alpine tussock in Fiordland. The bird was thought to be extinct for nearly 50 years.

"Takahe seem to me to be struggling to increase their numbers as thirty years ago there were 230 birds and over that 30 years there has been a small increase and now there are around 260," says Phil.

"I think part of the problem is that most of the takahe are in places that do not suit their lifestyle. At Maungatautari there are two breeding takahe in the Tari wetlands. Over the last four years they have produced six live chicks. They spend a large part of their time in or close to the swampy areas which give them ample food supply... We know when they are going to lay eggs as the female changes her diet to insects for protein to produce the eggs."

Between one and three eggs are layed and incubated for 30 days - with the incubation shared by both parents. Feeding is another shared task, and adu

lts will usually feed their chick for three months. In most cases, only one chick will survive its first winter.

To see Takahe in action check out this video from 'Meet the Locals'.

Source: Department of Conservation http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/native-animals/birds/land-birds/takahe/
For more information on Maungatautari Ecological Island visit their website or their facebook page.

To see more of Phil's work check out his website.