Mrs Bones lost her long battle to stay alive last week but the legendary little bird left a precious legacy.
The 12-year-old black stilt was found dead in her aviary by Department of Conservation staff at their black stilt recovery programme in Twizel.
Mrs Bones hatched 68 chicks in her lifetime, an
outstanding contribution to the survival of the world's rarest wading bird. Just eight pairs are left in the wild.
She first made news two years ago when she was involved in an ambitious surgical procedure to repair a badly broken bill.
But her bill finally let her down again, said DoC aviculturist Emily Sancha.
"There really wasn't anything we could do this time. The surgery prolonged her life, but the repairs were a temporary solution.
"The operations were definitely worthwhile and we've been incredibly lucky to have her as long as we have."
All 68 of Mrs Bones' offspring have, or soon will be, released into the wild as part of DoC's stilt recovery programme.
- NZPA
nzherald.co.nz/environment
