Weka
Conservation status
Vulnerable
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae Genus: Gallirallus Species: G. australis
Binomial name
Gallirallus australis (Sparrman, 1786)

The Weka or woodhen (Gallirallus australis) is a flightless bird species of the rail family. It is endemic to New Zealand, where four subspecies are recognized. Weka are sturdy brown birds, about the size of a chicken. As omnivores, they feed mainly on invertebrates and fruit. Weka usually lay eggs between August and January; both sexes help to incubate. Tales of Weka stealing shiny items and bags of sugar are part of New Zealand folklore. Weka may refer to the following: Weka - a New Zealand bird. ... Download high resolution version (1548x1256, 1150 KB)Weka File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn3. ... This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... Families †Gastornithidae Aramidae Psophiidae Rallidae Heliornithidae Rhynochetidae †Aptornithidae Eurypigidae Cariamidae Otidae Gruidae †Phorusrhacidae 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 Weka Gallirallus australis New Caledonian Rail Gallirallus lafresnayanus (probably extinct) Lord Howe Woodhen Gallirallus sylvestris Okinawa Rail Gallirallus okinawae Calayan Rail Gallirallus calayanensis Barred Rail Gallirallus torquatus New Britain Rail Gallirallus insignis Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis Roviana Rail Gallirallus rovianae Guam Rail Gallirallus owstoni (extinct in the wild... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Anders Erikson Sparrman (February 27, 1748–August 9, 1820) was a Swedish naturalist and an abolitionist. ... 1786 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Flightless birds evolved from flying ancestors; there are about forty species in existence today. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... 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... The hierarchy of scientific classification In biological classification, family (Latin: familia, plural familiae) is a rank, or a taxon in that rank. ... This article is a parent page for a series of articles providing information about endemism among birds in the Worlds various zoogeographic zones. ... This article is about the zoological term. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Pigs are omnivores. ... Invertebrate is an English word that describes any animal without a spinal column. ... For other uses, see Fruit (disambiguation). ... In most birds and reptiles, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ...

Description

Weka are predominantly rich brown mottled with black and grey; the brown shade varies from pale to dark depending on subspecies. At over 50 cm long, the male is about 1 kg and the female is about 700 g. The reddish-brown break is about 5 cm long, stout and tapered, and used as a weapon. The pointed tail is near-constantly being flicked, a sign of unease characteristic of the rail family. Weka have sturdy legs and reduced wings.^[1][2] Look up Break in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A scorpion tail The tail is the section at the rear end of an animals body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. ... 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...

Taxonomy and distribution

The common name Weka is a Māori word. The species was named Rallus australis by Anders Erikson Sparrman in 1789. Sparrman published the information in Museum Carlsonianum, four fascicules based on specimens collected while voyaging with Captain James Cook between 1772 and 1775.^[3] Australis is Latin for "southern". Johann Georg Wagler's suggestion of the Ocydromus genus in 1830 to describe each Weka as a species was generally adopted.^[4] However, Weka were later decided as a single species in the Gallirallus genus with four subspecies. Māori or Te Reo Māori,[1] commonly shortened to Te Reo (literally the language) functions as one of the official languages of New Zealand. ... In botanical nomenclature, the ICBN prescribes a two-part name or binary name for any taxon below the rank of genus down to, and including the rank of species. ... Anders Erikson Sparrman (February 27, 1748–August 9, 1820) was a Swedish naturalist and an abolitionist. ... Year 1789 (MDCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the British explorer. ... Johann Georg Wagler (1800 - 1832) was a German herpetologist. ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 (MDCCCXXX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Species Weka Gallirallus australis New Caledonian Rail Gallirallus lafresnayanus (probably extinct) Lord Howe Woodhen Gallirallus sylvestris Okinawa Rail Gallirallus okinawae Calayan Rail Gallirallus calayanensis Barred Rail Gallirallus torquatus New Britain Rail Gallirallus insignis Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis Roviana Rail Gallirallus rovianae Guam Rail Gallirallus owstoni (extinct in the wild...

Western Weka photographed on the West Coast, New Zealand near Karamea.

The Buff Weka (Gallirallus australis hectori) formerly inhabited the eastern districts of the South Island but is now confined to Chatham Island and Pitt Island to which it was introduced in the early 1900s, and where they are widely hunted and eaten, being considered 'introduced'. Reintroduction into Canterbury has been unsuccessful so far. It has a lighter overall colouring than the other subspecies. The North Island Weka (Gallirallus australis greyi) is represented by original populations in Northland and Poverty Bay, and by liberations elsewhere from that stock. This subspecies differs in its greyer underparts, and brown rather than reddish coloured legs.^[5] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 788 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1123 × 854 pixels, file size: 175 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 788 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1123 × 854 pixels, file size: 175 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The West Coast is one of the administrative regions of New Zealand, located on the west coast of the South Island, and is one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country. ... Karamea ia a town on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. ... The South Island The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. ... Chatham Island is by far the largest island of the Chatham Islands group, in the south Pacific Ocean off the eastern coast of New Zealand, named after the survey ship HMS Chatham which discovered the island in 1791. ... Pitt Island or Rangiauria is the second largest island in the Chatham Islands, territorially part of New Zealand, the mainland of which lies 800 kilometres to the west. ... This article is about the decade starting in 1900 and ending in 1909. ... Canterbury is a cathedral city in east Kent in South East England and is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primate of All England, head of the Church of England and of the worldwide Anglican Communion. ... Northland is the official or unofficial name of several places and things: // Northland Shopping Centre, a shopping centre in Melbourne, Australia Ontario Northland Railway, a transportation company in Canada Northland, the northernmost region of New Zealand, located on the North Auckland (or Northland) Peninsula Northland, a suburb of Wellington, New... Location of Poverty Bay Poverty Bay is the largest of several small bays on the east coast of New Zealands North Island to the north of Hawke Bay. ...

The Western Weka (Gallirallus australis australis) is found mainly in the northern and western regions of the South Island from Nelson to Fiordland. Distinguished by dark red-brown and black streaking on the breast, the Western Weka has two distinct colour phases, that of the southernmost range showing a greater degree of black. The Stewart Island Weka (Gallirallus australis scotti) is smaller than the other subspecies and, like the Western Weka, has two colour phases; a chestnut form - similar to the chestnut-phase Western Weka - and a black phase which is not as dark as the black Western Weka. The population is confined to Stewart Island and outliers, and to Kapiti Island to which it was introduced.^[5] The South Island The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. ... Nelson may refer to: [edit] People with the Given Name Nelson Nelson Mandela, South African politician and activist Nelson Muntz, fictional cartoon character on The Simpsons Nelson Piquet, Brazilian racing driver Nelson Rockefeller, American politician Nelson Sale Kilifa, Solomon Islands footballer [edit] Places Nelson, British Columbia, Canada Nelson, Georgia, USA... Fiordland is a region of New Zealand that is situated on the south-western corner of the South Island. ... Stewart Island is the third largest island of New Zealand. ... Kapiti Island seen from Waikanae Beach, Kapiti Coast. ...

Behaviour

Habitat and diet

Weka occupy areas such as forests, sub-alpine grassland, sand dunes, rocky shores and modified semi-urban environments. They are omnivorous, with a diet comprising 30% animal foods and 70% plant foods. Animal foods include earthworms, larvae, beetles, weta, ants, grass grubs, slugs, snails, insect eggs, slaters, frogs, spiders, rats, mice, and small birds. Plant foods include leaves, grass, berries and seeds. Weka are important in the bush as seed dispersers, distributing seeds too large for smaller berry-eating birds.^[2] Where the Weka is relatively common, their furtive curiosity leads them to search around houses and camps for food scraps, or anything unfamiliar and transportable.^[1] This article is about a community of trees. ... The term subalpine refers to the biotic zone immediately below tree line around the world. ... This article is about the sand formations, for other meanings see Dune (disambiguation) Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by eolian (wind-related) processes. ... Anjajavy Forest on Tsingy rocks jutting into the Indian Ocean Rocky shore RENECK!!!!!!!is an intertidal area on seacoasts where solid rock predominates. ... For the LPG album, see The Earthworm (album). ... A larval insect A larva (Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of animal with indirect development, undergoing metamorphosis (for example, insects or amphibians). ... For other uses, see Beetle (disambiguation). ... This article is about the insect. ... For other uses, see Ant (disambiguation). ... Grub or GRUB can mean: a slang term for food a beetle larva that resembles a worm a distributed commercial search engine: see Grub (search engine) a number of places in Switzerland, Austria and Germany, such as: Grub, canton of Appenzell Outer Rhodes, Switzerland Grub, Germany for the GNU project... This article is about land slugs. ... For other uses, see Snail (disambiguation). ... Orders Subclass Apterygota Archaeognatha (bristletails) Thysanura (silverfish) Subclass Pterygota Infraclass Paleoptera (Probably paraphyletic) Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Superorder Exopterygota Grylloblattodea (ice-crawlers) Mantophasmatodea (gladiators) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Embioptera (webspinners) Zoraptera (angel insects) Dermaptera (earwigs) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, etc) Phasmatodea (stick insects) Blattodea (cockroaches) Isoptera (termites) Mantodea (mantids) Psocoptera... In most birds and reptiles, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ... Infraorders and Families Infraorder Tylomorpha Tylidae Infraorder Ligiamorpha Superfamily Trichoniscoidea Buddelundiellidae Trichoniscidae Superfamily Styloniscoidea Schoebliidae Styloniscidae Titaniidae Tunanoniscidae Superfamily Oniscoidea Bathytropidae Berytoniscidae Detonidae Halophilosciidae Olibrinidae Oniscidae Philosciidae Platyarthridae Pudeoniscidae Rhyscotidae Scyphacidae Speleoniscidae Sphaeroniscidae Stenoniscidae Tendosphaeridae Superfamily Armadilloidea Actaeciidae Armadillidae Armadillidiidae Atlantidiidae Balloniscidae Cylisticidae Eubelidae Periscyphicidae Porcellionidae Trachelipodidae incertae sedis (Ligiamorpha... Distribution of frogs (in black) Suborders Archaeobatrachia Mesobatrachia Neobatrachia - List of Anuran families The frogness babe is an amphibian in the order Anura (meaning tail-less from Greek an-, without + oura, tail), formerly referred to as Salientia (Latin saltare, to jump). ... For other uses, see Spider (disambiguation). ... Species 50 species; see text *Several subfamilies of Muroids include animals called rats. ... Mice may refer to: An abbreviation of Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions. ... For other meanings of bird, see bird (disambiguation). ... Look up foliage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Grass (disambiguation). ... This article is about the fruit. ... This writeup is about biological seeds; for other meanings see Seed (disambiguation). ...

Breeding and nesting

The breeding season varies, but when food is plentiful, Weka can raise up to four broods throughout the whole year. Nests are made on the ground under the cover of thick vegetation, and built by making grass (or similar material) into a bowl to hold about four eggs. On average, female Weka lay three creamy or pinkish eggs blotched with brown and mauve. Both sexes incubate. The chicks hatch after a month, and are fed by both parents until fully grown between six and ten weeks.^[1][2] For other uses, see Nest (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Grass (disambiguation). ... In most birds and reptiles, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ...

Conservation status

Weka are classed as a vulnerable species. The Department of Conservation's Weka recovery plan, approved in 1999, aims to improve the conservation status of threatened Weka, clarify the status of data deficient Weka, maintain the non-threatened status of other Weka, and eventually restore all Weka to their traditional ranges as a significant component of the ecosystems.^[6] This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... The Department of Conservation (DOC) was established in 1987 following the abolition of the Department of Lands and Survey and the Forest Service. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ...

Weka are problematic in conservation; some subspecies are threatened, but have been a problem to other threatened wildlife on offshore islands, especially when introduced to an island that they would not naturally inhabit.^[7] Weka are unable to withstand the current pressures faced in both the North Island and South Island. However, they can be very productive in good conditions and high food availability. Year-round breeding has been recorded at several sites with up to 14 young produced in a year. Weka populations can persist in highly modified habitats, but they have disappeared from huge areas of their former range, suggesting that they can adapt to a wide range of conditions but are particularly vulnerable to threats.^[6] North Island The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, the other being the South Island. ... The South Island The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. ...

Threats

The Department of Conservation identifies eight main threats to Weka. Predation by ferrets and dogs are a threat to adult Weka; stoats, ferrets and cats are a threat to chicks; stoats and rats are a threat to eggs. It faces competition with introduced species for fruits and invertebrates, and suffers from the impact browsers have on forest composition and regeneration. Habitat depletion is caused by the modification and degradation of forests and wetlands. Diseases and parasites have been associated with population declines, although little is known. Drought has been implicated in the disappearance of Weka from some areas. In some regions, motor vehicles cause a significant amount of roadkill death. Pest control operations sometimes kill Weka, as they have ground foraging habits vulnerable to poison baits, and traps are laid in a way that Weka can reach. Genetic diversity can be lost during the transmission of genes through generations, affecting isolated populations.^[8] The Department of Conservation (DOC) was established in 1987 following the abolition of the Department of Lands and Survey and the Forest Service. ... Predator and Prey redirect here. ... This article is about the mammal. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Range map The stoat (Mustela erminea) is a small mammal of the family Mustelidae. ... Species 50 species; see text *Several subfamilies of Muroids include animals called rats. ... This article is about the medical term. ... A parasite is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life in or on the living tissue of a host organism and which causes harm to the host without immediately killing it. ... Fields outside Benambra, Victoria, Australia suffering from drought conditions A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. ... For the professional wrestler known as Roadkill, see Michael Depoli, for the movie marketed as Roadkill in the UK and Australia, see Joy Ride, for the Supernatural TV series episode, see Roadkill (Supernatural). ... Genetic diversity is a characteristic of ecosystems and gene pools that describes an attribute which is commonly held to be advantageous for survival -- that there are many different versions of otherwise similar organisms. ...

Human interaction and folklore

Weka are significant to some Maori iwi who admire their curiosity and feisty, bold personality. These also led to them being relatively easy to catch. Weka were used by the Maori as a source of food, perfume, oil to treat inflammations, feathers in clothing and lures to catch dogs. Early European explorers and settlers frequently encountered and utilised Weka, who gave them the name "bush hen".^[9] Te Puni, Māori Chief Māori is the name of the indigenous people of New Zealand, and their language. ... Iwi (pronounced ee-wee) are the largest everyday social units in Māori society. ... For other uses, see Perfume (disambiguation). ... Synthetic motor oil For other uses, see Oil (disambiguation). ... An abscess on the skin, showing the redness and swelling characteristic of inflammation. ... Two feathers Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

Tales of Weka stealing shiny items and bags of sugar are part of New Zealand folklore.

Notes and references

• BirdLife International (2006). Gallirallus australis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is vulnerable
• Penguin Pocket Guides: New Zealand's Native Birds of Bush and Countryside. Pages 76-77. 1996. Published by Penguin Books. ISBN 0-140-26010-2

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ...

External links

• J. Innes; I. Flux (1999). North Island kokako recovery plan (PDF). Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand. Retrieved on 2007-18-04.