Birds · Eurypygiformes · Rhynochetidae
Kagu
Rhynochetos jubatus
It faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. See full glossary
The kagu is a bird of the clade Eurypygiformes, family Rhynochetidae. It is the only species in its family and genus, and no subspecies are recognised. It is found only in the dense montane forests of New Caledonia. It barely flies. It builds a nest of crushed twigs and lays a single egg. It is vulnerable to introduced rats and cats, and is threatened with extinction. The remoteness of its habitat and the rarity of the species mean that its habits are little known.
Weight
700 g – 1.1 kg
Size
50 cm – 55 cm
Lifespan
30 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Sighting difficulty
Hard
Estimated population
Between 1,000 and 2,000 mature individuals
Fun facts
- GeneralA grey, near-flightless bird whose call sounds like a dog barking.
- It has no close living relatives: it makes up a whole family and practically a whole order on its own, and its nearest relative is the South American sunbittern, half a world away.
- It has nasal covers known as corns, small flaps that close over its nostrils so they do not fill with soil as it roots through the leaf litter: no other bird in the world has them.
- Feral dogs are its main threat: they are the direct cause of most recorded adult deaths.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Montane rainforest and maquis of the island of New Caledonia, in the South Pacific
- Sexual maturity
- 2 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 35 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 1 egg
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhynochetos_jubatus
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Kagu — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Grey-Headed Albatross
Thalassarche chrysostoma
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinus
Common Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticula
Southern Rockhopper Penguin
Eudyptes chrysocome
Wandering Albatross
Diomedea exulans
Least ConcernBlack-browed Albatross
Thalassarche melanophris
How to help
The kagu is classified as endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
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