| There were
only 4 official sightings of takahe between 1800 and 1900, so by 1930 the takahe was
presumed extinct. |
|
But there was a man,
Dr Geoffrey Orbell, who believed there were still takahe in the valleys of the Murchison
Mountains. He spent his weekends and holidays tramping through the valleys with his
friends in search of the takahe. It took many trips and LOTS of walking, but he found
them! This is a photo of Dr
Falla and Dr Orbell (right) in 1949. Dr Falla is holding a takahe chick.
Photo courtesy of the Department of Conservation. |
| Dr
Geoffrey Orbell rediscovered the takahe on the 20th of November 1948. It turned
out there were about 250 takahe living in the valleys of the Murchison Mountains and the
neighbouring ranges. The
valley where Dr Orbell rediscovered the takahe was named ‘Takahe Valley’ and the
Lake nearby was named 'Lake Orbell' – see where they are on the Takahe Map. |
| Recommended
reading "Saving New Zealand’s Endangered Birds" by Rod Morris and Hal
Smith, 1995. This book has a chapter about the takahe. It tells the wonderful story of Dr
Orbell’s discovery – it was an amazing adventure. Takahe once lived throughout New
Zealand... their bones have been found in maori middens. Like the moa, their
numbers shrank in the face of maori hunting, but unlike the moa, the takahe did not become
extinct. Instead they survived in the bleak, remote Murchison mountains, safe from the
hunters.
Isolation saved the takahe but even
in their remote mountains they became threatened , this time by introduced stoats and
deer, which ate the takahe's favourite tussock grasses.
Nowadays, while the takehe
population in the Murchison mountains remains, new populations are being established on
predator-free islands like Maud and Kapiti, and the takahe are thriving in the lowlands
where they used to live. |
|
The Takahe
- Beautiful blue and green feathers
- Small wings – not used for
flying
- About the size of a large hen
- Approximately 50cm tall
- Around 3 kilograms in weight
- Strong beak
- Sturdy legs
|
| Stuff about the
takahe…
The takahe is only found in New
Zealand, which means it is endemic to New Zealand.
It is an endangered species
Another Maori name for the takahe is
‘moho’
The takahe is an 'old' New
Zealander, descended from the Australian pukeko-like ancestor. The takahe became big and
flightless and slow breeding in New Zealand. Its relation, the present pukeko only arrived
from Australia a few thousand years ago.
In 1847 the takahe was given the
scientific name ‘Notornis mantelli' after the scientist Walter Mantell, who
discovered takahe bones in the North Island. However the takahe is now recognised in the
same grouping as the pukeko, so its scientific name changed to 'Porphyrio mantelli
hochstetteri'.
Takahe have lived to be over 20
years old in captivity, but few wild birds reach this age
Takahe are related to the pukeko
(another native New Zealand bird)
Takahe wings are not used for
flying, but they are used during courtship and to show aggression
It is the largest living member of
the rail family of birds
Once found in both the North and
South Islands, takahe now only live in the wild in the Murchison and Stuart Mountains in
Fiordland National Park.
Small numbers of takahe have been
relocated to four offshore islands - Maud, Mana, Kapiti and Tiritiri Matangi
Takahe Valley in Fiordland National
Park was named after the takahe
In 1953 a 500 kilometre square area
within Fiordland National Park was set aside especially for takahe conservation
Fiordland National Park was set up
in the same year Dr Orbell rediscovered the takahe - 1948. (Learn more about New Zealand’s National Parks)
|
| What does a takahe
do all day? They eat and
eat and eat and eat. Like many browsing creatures they spend most of the day eating to get
enough nourishment from their food source. The Murchison Mountains takahe’s preferred
food is three varieties of tussock grass - broad leafed snow tussock, mid-ribbed snow
tussock and curled snow tussock. They eat the fresh, juicy part at the bottom of each
blade, where the sugar and protein is found.
Takahe also eat fern roots, but
generally only in winter when the tussock is snowed in. Sometimes takahe eat the mountain
daisy, Celmisia petriei, other grasses, sedges and herbs and moths. Takahe parents
will feed invertebrates to young chicks to give them more protein.
Takahe living on off-shore islands
eat all sorts of grasses. Takahe are quite adaptable to other environments - and remember
that takahe did used to live throughout New Zealand. |
|
| There's
some good pictures of takahe eating tussock grass in 'Takahe' By Roger Lavers and Jim
Mills. Published by John McIndoe, 1984. |
| Takahe chicks… A female takahe needs to be at least two
years old before she will have chicks. When takahe find partners to have chicks with, they
will usually mate for life.
Breeding begins in October. Takahe
build a nest on the ground amongst vegetation where they can hide a nest. Two eggs are
usually laid, but sometimes it’s 1 or 3, between mid October and mid December. The
takahe parents take turns at incubating the eggs, which take around 30 days to hatch. |
 |
|
Takahe chicks have
black fluffy down (baby feathers) and a black beak – they get their red beak and
beautiful green and blue feathers when they get bigger. Both parents feed them for about
three months, then they have to get their own food. The chicks learn how to feed
themselves by following and copying their parents. |
| The
Department of Conservation traps stoats during spring and summer while the takahe are
nesting and when chicks are young. DOC traps the stoats to stop them eating the takahe
eggs and chicks. There are
some photo's of takahe chick rearing in 'Takahe' By Jenny Jones. Published by Heinemann
Education, 1997. |
| Takahe Timeline |
| Before
people arrived in NZ |
Takahe lived
throughout New Zealand |
| Peole
arrived |
Takahe numbers dropped
due to introduced predetors, habitat loss and being eaten. The last population survived,
unknown, in the Murchison Mountains. |
| 1800-1900 |
4 official recorded
sightings of takahe |
| By 1930 |
Takahe presumed
extinct |
| 1940s
& 1950s |
Red deer became
established in the Murchison Mountains |
| 1948 |
Takahe rediscovered by
Dr Geoffrey Orbell. Around 250 takahe found living in the Murchison Mountains. |
| Early
1970s |
Wildlife Service staff
noticed a decline in takahe numbers |
| 1976 |
Intensive helicopter
hunting of deer began in the Murchison Mountains (Ground shooters had been culling deer
since 1948.) |
| 1981 |
Around 120 takahe
remain |
| 1983 |
Wildlife Service
started moving fertile eggs to nests where takahe had infertile eggs (they took the
infertile eggs away) |
| 1985 |
Opening of
chick-rearing unit at Burwood Bush near Mossburn, South Island. |
| 1985 |
First takahe relocated
to Maud Island |
| 1990s |
DOC started
translocating takahe to other offshore islands - Mana, Kapiti and Tiritiri Matangi |
| 1991 |
First two takahe
translocated to Tiritiri Matangi Island |
| 1995-1997 |
Flight Centre New
Zealand sponsored the Takahe Recovery Programme. They now continue to support the
programme through an annual donation. |
| 1987-1992 |
Annual releases of
captive reared takahe into the Stuart Mountains; total of 58 over this period |
| 1991-1999 |
Annual releases from
Burwood Bush into the Murchison Mountains; total of 96 over this period |
| 1999/2000 |
Summer counting season
(The count is carried out by
the Department of Conservation) Murchison Mountains = 133
Elsewhere in Fiordland = 4 (These
two figures are minimum counts, there may be a few more that didn’t get counted.)
Burwood Bush Captive Rearing Unit = 20 takahe over 1 year old
Te Anau and Mt Bruce Wildlife Centres = 5
Four offshore islands (Maud, Mana, Kapiti, Tiritiri Matangi) = 59 adults
Total Adult Takahe 1999/2000
season = 221 |
|
To learn more about
why takahe numbers dropped and what is being done to help the takahe, go to Oh Deer! Learn where takahe live in the wild – check out the Takahe Map
Learn more about the takahe - check
out some of the books and magazine articles listed in Takahe Resources |
Thanks to KCC member Eden Sutton for her drawings of Willie Weka and Kiri Kiwi at the top
of this page.
Takahe photos courtesy of Carol Knutson.
The takahe
information was written in October 2000. |
|
