? Takahe Conservation status: Endangered
Takahe and chick
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae Genus: Porphyrio Species: P. mantelli
Binomial name
Porphyrio mantelli Owen, 1848

The Takahē, Porphyrio mantelli is a flightless bird native to New Zealand which belongs to the rail family. It was thought to be extinct but the southern subspecies P. m. hochstetteri was rediscovered in the Murchison Mountains on the South Island in 1948. The North Island Takahe, P. m. mantelli is extinct. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (977x755, 130 KB)Takahe and chick on Kapiti Island in New Zealand. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anenomes) Placozoa (trichoplax) Subregnum Bilateria (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Orthonectida (flatworms, echinoderms, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicatas Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... For other meanings of bird, see bird (disambiguation). ... Families  Otidae  Gruidae  Rallidae The diverse order Gruiformes contains about 12 bird families with, on first sight, little in common. ... Genera Sarothrura Himantornis Canirallus Coturnicops Micropygia Rallina Anurolimnas Laterallus Nesoclopeus Gallirallus Rallus Lewinia Dryolimnas Crex Rougetius Aramidopsis Atlantisia Aramides Amaurolimnas Gymnocrex Amaurornis Porzana Aenigmatolimnas Cyanolimnas Neocrex Pardirallus Eulabeornis Habroptila Megacrex Gallicrex Porphyrio Gallinula Fulica The family Rallidae is a large group of small to medium-sized birds which includes the... Species (extinct) Porphyrio is a small genus of birds in the rail family. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Sir Richard Owen and Dinornis bird skeleton Sir Richard Owen (July 20, 1804 - December 18, 1892) was an English biologist, comparative anatomist and palaeontologist. ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Flightless birds evolved from flying ancestors; there are about forty species in existence today. ... Genera Sarothrura Himantornis Canirallus Coturnicops Micropygia Rallina Anurolimnas Laterallus Nesoclopeus Gallirallus Rallus Lewinia Dryolimnas Crex Rougetius Aramidopsis Atlantisia Aramides Amaurolimnas Gymnocrex Amaurornis Porzana Aenigmatolimnas Cyanolimnas Neocrex Pardirallus Eulabeornis Habroptila Megacrex Gallicrex Porphyrio Gallinula Fulica The family Rallidae is a large group of small to medium-sized birds which includes the... In biology and ecology, extinction is the ceasing of existence of a species or group of species. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Binomial name Porphyrio mantelli (Owen, 1848) The Takahē, Porphyrio mantelli, is a flightless bird native to New Zealand which belongs to the rail family. ...

The Takahē is the largest Rail in the family at 63 cm in length. It is stocky, with reduced wings, strong legs and a massive bill.

The adult Takahē is mainly purple-blue, with a greenish back and innner wings. It has a red frontal shield and red-based pink bill. The legs are pink. Sexes are similar, but young birds have mainly pale brown plumage. This is a noisy species with a loud clowp call. Closeup on a single white feather A feather is one of the epidermal growths that forms the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on a bird. ...

A takahē feeding on a grass stalk

The Takahē is found in alpine grasslands habitats. It eats a wide range of plant food, and its diet is similar to that of the pukeko (Purple Swamphen). The Takahē can often be seen to pluck a grass stalk, taking it into one claw and eating only the soft lower parts. The rest is discarded. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2283x1797, 702 KB) Summary Description: A takahe feeding on a grass stalk Location: Tiritiri Matangi Island Source: image uploaded by author Date: image taken on 2005-03-06 Author: wikimedia user gerald. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2283x1797, 702 KB) Summary Description: A takahe feeding on a grass stalk Location: Tiritiri Matangi Island Source: image uploaded by author Date: image taken on 2005-03-06 Author: wikimedia user gerald. ... Binomial name Porphyrio porphyrio (Linnaeus, 1758) The Purple Swamphen, Purple Gallinule or Pukeko, Porphyrio porphyrio, is a large bird in the family Rallidae. ...

This species builds a bulky nest under bushes and scrubs and lays two buff eggs. It is territorial. The chick survival rate is 73-97%. An average Whooping Crane egg is 102 mm long, and weighs 208 grams A baby tortoise emerges from a reptile egg. ...

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

The species is still present in the location where it was rediscovered in the Murchison Mountains. Small numbers have also been successfully translocated to four predator-free offshore islands, Tiritiri Matangi, Kapiti, Maud and Mana, where it can be viewed by the public. Additionally, captive Takahe can be viewed at Te Anau and Mt. Bruce Wildlife Centres. Tiritiri Matangi, lighthouse and ranger station. ... Kapiti Island seen from Waikanae Beach, Kapiti Coast. ... Maud Island (in Maori language: Te Hoiere) is the second largest island with a total area of 320 ha in the Marlborough Sounds on the northern tip of the South Island of New Zealand. ... Mana Island seen from Porirua Mana Island is the smaller of two islands that lie off the southwest coast of the North Island of New Zealand (the larger is Kapiti Island). ... Te Anau is a town in the South Island of New Zealand. ...

Reference

• Rails by Taylor and van Perlo, ISBN 90-74345-20-4
• Royal Forest & Bird Society (NZ) page on Takahē
• NZ Department of Conservation page on Takahē
• Birdlife International - takahe taxonomy