The critically endangered South Island Takahe is the largest of the world's rails. It was thought to be extinct, but in 1945 was rediscovered in the high remote Murchison Mountains by Geoffrey Orbell. As part of a conservation effort some individuals have been captured and bred in captivity and some have been translocated to protected islands. There are currently six Takahe on Tiritiri Matangi. The leg bands identify this individual as Nohoa a young female from the Burwood captive breeding program brought to the island in 2013-14. She paired with Turutu but her nesting attempt failed. In May 2017 she was moved back to Burwood. She is expected to be moved again to Kahurangi National Park, where a new wild population is being established.
Seeing this bird was simultaneously exhilarating and depressing. The Takahe is an iconic species that I dreamed of seeing some day since I first learned of its spectacular rediscovery; but the species never occurred in the wild at Tiri. Seeing it here brought into sharp focus how much has been tragically lost since New Zealand was first settled by humans. Canon PowerShot SX50 HS.
References:
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N. & Sharpe, C.J. (2017). South Island Takahe (Porphyrio hochstetteri). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/467252 on 17 March 2017).
Marchant, S.; Higgins, P.J. (eds) 1993. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic birds. Vol. 2, raptors to lapwings. Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC). (2006) "Takahe: land birds." Available at: http://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/takahe/
Accessed March 17, 2017.
Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi Inc. 2010. "Takahe on Tiri" Available at: http://www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/takahe-on-tiri Accessed March 17, 2017.
Maxwell, J.M. 2013. Takahe. In Miskelly, C.M. (ed.) New Zealand Birds Online. www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz