|
|
Porphyrio mantelli mantelli
|
|
 Belonging to the same family as the successful Pukeko, the Takahe, sadly not so successful, was thought to be extinct until the rediscovery of c. 250 birds in the Murchison Mountains of Fiordland in 1948. Since then their numbers surviving in the wild have declined, fluctuating between 110 and 160 birds. The low success rate in breeding is due partly to the high rate of egg infertility, about 40%. Breeding is closely monitored and 'extra' eggs beyond one per clutch are removed and given to another takahe to incubate. Surplus eggs go to the Burwood Rearing Unit where the chicks are fed by puppets and raised for return to the wild.
The takahe has brown eyes, a scarlet red bill and shield massive, with red legs and feet. The plumage ranges from an iridescent dark blue head, neck and breast and peacock blue shoulders to olive green and blue back and wings. They do have wings despite being flightless. The juveniles have a black bill and black plumage.
They form persistent, sometimes life-long, pairs and stray from their permanent territories only in winter in search of food usually returning to the same territories in the summer. In the wild, takahe live in high-altitude hidden valleys feeding on snow tussocks and on fern rhizomes. They survive on outlying islands around New Zealand on grasses and fern rhizomes, digesting only the plant juices and not the fibres.
Takahe pairs call back and forth to each other in duet in a very deep resonant 'kloomph', whilst their normal contact call by day or night is a very loud, weka-like 'cooet'.
2 takahe, both males (Mr Blue and Stormy) were released on Tiri in 1991, followed by 1 female (JJ) in 1992. Further releases have occurred since then and many birds have been born on Tiri. The total population on Tiri is now 10 birds.
Photography by:
Simon Fordham © (top left) and by Max McRae
©
(bottom right)
References: Heather, B.D.; Robertson, H.A. 2000 The Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand. Auckland, Viking.
|
Conservation Status:
|
Protected Endangered Endemic
|
|
Mainland Status:
|
c. 130 in Murchison Mountains
|
|
Size:
|
63cm, 3kg
|
|
Life Span:
|
14 - 20 Years
|
|
Breeding:
|
October - December
|
|
Diet:
|
Grasses, fern rhizomes, snow tussocks, *** signage ***
|
|
First Introduced to Tiri:
|
2 birds in 1991
|
|
Population on Tiri:
|
10 (July
2007)
|
|
Total Population:
|
243 (March 2004)
|
|
|
Takahe Bands
as at 1 July 2007
|
|
Description of Bird Bands on Tiritiri Matangi Island
|
Left / Right
|
Name
|
Hatched |
DOH |
Gender
|
|
RB / M |
Montague |
Kaptiti * |
15.11.99 |
M ) paired
|
|
RM / Y
|
Ahikaea
|
Tiri |
03.10.97 |
F )
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BlkM / G
|
Blackwatch
|
Tiri |
17.10.00 |
M single |
|
YM / B
|
Rossie |
Tiri |
31.10.97 |
M single |
|
RB / YM
|
Greg
|
Burwood ** |
12.12.92 |
M single
|
|
M / RG
|
Whakama
|
Tiri |
21.12.94 |
M single
|
|
GM / W
|
Mungo
|
Tiri |
26.10.02 |
M single
|
|
RM / R
|
Blake
|
Tiri |
01.11.01 |
M single
|
|
R / WM |
Cheesecake |
Burwood *** |
12.10.04 |
F single |
|
BlkO / BlkM |
Mahuika
|
Mana Island **** |
? |
F single |
*
Translocated to Tiri 30.08.2005
** Murchison egg, hatched Burwood,
translocated to Tiri 01.05.1994
*** Translocated to Tiri 2006
**** Translocated to Tiri 2006
Cartoon of
Greg. Book:
Greg! the Naughty Takahe |
