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Takahē - Porphyrio hochstetteri
Takahē - Porphyrio hochstetteri

The Ranger had just fed the two Takahe and was kindly willing to enter their large enclosure to flush the birds out so we could photograph one of the two birds. This then is one of a population of only 200-300 birds. I was shooting through a preditor-free fence without a large zoom.

The Takahē or Porphyrio hochstetteri is a flightless bird indigenous to New Zealand and belonging to the rail family. It was thought to be extinct after the last four known specimens were taken in 1898 and there were only 3 other sightings between 1800 and 1900.

However, after a carefully planned search effort the bird was rediscovered near Lake Te Anau in the remote Murchison Mountains, South Island, on November 20, 1948.

Its overall length is up to 63 cm (24.8 in) and its average weight is about 2.75 kg (6 lbs), ranging from 1.8-4.2 kg (4-9.2 lbs). It is a stocky bird, with reduced wings, strong legs and a massive bill, about the size of a large hen.

The species is still present in the location where it was rediscovered in the remote wilderness of the rugged Murchison Mountains, Fiordland National Park. Small numbers have also been successfully translocated to four predator-free offshore islands, plus captive Takahē can be viewed at Te Anau and Mt Bruce wildlife centres. I have previously seen Takahe at this location and the Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre.

The near-extinction of the Takahē is due to a number of factors: over-hunting by Maori, loss of habitat, low fertility and introduced predators have all played a part.

The Takahe has iconic status in New Zealand.

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Taken on: December 17, 2010
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Sets appears in:   • Birds of New Zealand   
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Camera: Canon EOS 500D, f/5.6, 1/125 sec, 85mm, ISO 250 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Canon EOS 500D
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Focal Length: 85mm
ISO: 250
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program: Program AE
Exposure Mode: Auto
Metering Mode: Multi-segment
White Balance: Auto
Color Space: sRGB
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