Takahe - New Zealand Bird of the Week 

Voting for the next installment ends this Friday.

"New Zealand bird of the week" is something I never knew that I needed.

Takahe:goes extinct Takahe: being found again Cryptozoology community: *happy noises*

I love these bois. Glad these bois are still here

As a birdwatcher myself, I can hardly begin to imagine how emotional that first sighting of the takahe must have been after such a long period of apparent extinction. Inserting the capturing of the rediscovery of this Lazarus species by a persistent naturalist (I missed the name, sorry) on camera was a very neatly done feature of your magnificent video. Honestly, you're among the 5 top RU-vidrs in my book. Keep them coming, please!

I was on a hunting trip on the South Island in 1966, when my guide pointed to a bird, low in a small tree, about chest level. He called it a Blue Pigeon and told me I could go and pet it, which I did. At first, I thought he was just trying to play a joke on me, but as I soon found out, it was quite tame and it allowed me to stroke its breast. He explained that the bird was nearly extinct because of this trait, and the early settlers harvested them in great quantities. NZ is a very interesting place.

It is so good to hear a good story where extinction is defeated in a species. Henry, you do fantastic work spreading the word.

They are gorgeous birds. I am glad they were saved.

Looks like a giant rainbow finch to me🌈 🐦

I am so glad that their description is not in past tense. I hope they evolve to be huge dinosaurs.

Imagine being contracted to protect the Takahe from a similar looking bird and killing the 5% of all the living Takahes in the proccess

I loved meeting these guys when I went to Terri Terri Matangi island when I was a kid. It's a remarkable place and I loved seeing and interacting with all the native species there.

I needed a feel good story. Thank you.

Australia: where everything can kill you New Zealand: where birds forget to bird

There are some really amazing stories of the first captive takahe rearing attempts at Mt Bruce. For me , this one stands out. Because it made better sense to collect eggs instead of adults for a captive breeding colony, it was decided that bantem hens would be used to brood the eggs, as the eggs were collected. As the trek to and from lake Orbell was hazardous, the hens would have to have exceptionally tenacious brooding instincts! The hens would have to stay on the collected eggs- (a) when the eggs were first collected (b) in a backpack (c) while trekking (d) while abseiling down cliffs ( e) on a motor boat (f) in a plane (g) in an automobile. So. Many hens were assembled and put through vigorous testing . Their nests were put in boxes, sealed, then .....dropped, spun and shaken. They were put on planes, boat and cars. They were swung on ropes. It was like the NASA astronaut testing trials. (Ironically during the same period of history - the USA had spacemen , NZ had chooks) Of the many hens that were tested, 4 never abandoned brooding, these were our heros. The standout was the hen , whose nest box was tied to the roof of a car.....and had the box accidentally scraped off _onto the road_ by a low hanging branch! This hen survive the branch impact, the road impact and the subsequent rolls as well as a couple of hours lost while the researchers looked for her nestbox ( nobody had realized what had happened till sometime later ). When found, she was still brooding the eggs and had actually used her body to cushion them during the accident. Not one egg was cracked !!! The first collection was successful and several takahe were raised. But they were imprinted on people.... I would love to see Taiko Whatiti make a film on the takahe saga, as the whole thing is ridiculous, heroic, depressing but ultimately heartwarming ( Weta films could do the takahe animatronics!)

Kevin from Up was historically accurate. Both are large blue and green birds that had reported sightings but not confirmed. They were also both thought to be extinct, but that had never truly been proven. They both live in remote and hidden lands that were to hostile for humans to traverse.

Stunning! Well done to all involved ! And thank you Henry for another fascinating look at NZ birds !

I live just up the road from Zealandia, but I’ve never been in there. This is reminding me to go visit the sanctuary and see the Takahe. We do get lots of Kaka parrots flying around my suburb from the sanctuary, I’ve often seen them in my garden.

Last connection to the moa, shiny walk birbs.

I went to NZ as a teen for a family trip, specifically so I could see my favorite birds. The Takahe was #2 after a bird that most people have heard of. A popular bird Kiwi's named themselves after. Any guesses? Got see a few Takahe at a reserve in Fjordland. They were so fascinating and looked ancient. Got to see Kea, Kaka and a tuatara too

Very prehistoric looking

Great story-telling and visuals.

That's a pretty awesome bird! Beautiful colours. Never heard about them

I love Takehe. I remember one day I was running a trap line in Tāwharanui, ages away from any of the marked tracks, when I hear a massive amount of crashing in the undergrowth coming up behind me. I fully freaked out thinking a human was stalking me in the middle of nowhere- but when I turned around it was just a big blue chonker coming to see what I was up to. Takahe really do make alot of noise for their size.....

Truly amazing video, in the future can you possibly do one on the extinct madagascan elephant birds

I love living in new Zealand and also going to mount Bruce because I live close to the sanctuary

Awesome! Plus nice to know something is not Extinct. Smiles - My bloodline goes Extinct with me. Cheers Xxx

Well worth the wait Henry!

This is still one of my favourite videos!

Whenever someone doubts bird-dinosaur link... see this bird.

Thank you!

amazing video as always Keep up with the great quality!

Make a video about sexual display in Protoceratops Andrewsi. There is an interesting paper about it.

I love it. It's so cute!! Thanks for the interesting video. 🐦

Another great NZ bird. Well done.

Great video mate, I was wondering you wanted to collab soon. I get it if your busy but I always available!

11:05 Better quality than and bigfoot sighting

My favorite animal

Wow that so great that the bird was thought extinct turns out to be not extinct that so awesome the bird species is will taking care. Great video Henry.

theyre so cute

Good for you, Takahe. Now, I'm waiting for the day we'll discover a few living Dodos in Mauritius (which I know is very unlikely but, who knows) 😏

I have chickens and this bird amazed me will the public ever be able to sell birds like this?

1:57 these birds look just like a scary dinosaurs Oh ya that's right they are dinosaurs😂

Tiny cassowary

I love your series!

These would make a superb domestic pet. That alone could save them if they could get the numbers up.

Funny how feathers are actually something like 'hairs with hair'.

Please do Hihi next ❤️❤️❤️

Watching these videos while i save money to move to new Zealand so I can live in a country with all these beautiful birds and also maybe find a wife there ;p

I love to hear if species that seem to have escaped extinction.

Like other giant, flightless birds such as the Emu, I hope that when they weren't flightless they were at least 'poop-less'.

ES MUY IMPORTANTE LA PROTECCIÓN DE LAS AVES EN PELIGRO DE EXTINCIÓN. YA QUE MANEJO UN PROYECTO PARA LA PROTECCIÓN DE LAS AVES RATIDAS,(MISIÓN RATIDAS)

New Zealand: Breath of the Wild

Presumably, they could eat water chestnuts at a pinch.

9 predators dislike this video

Wow thought it was going to be a pukeko

Did Sir Richard Owen described every bird of New Zealand? XD

You remind me of Ben from 7DOS

Who the fuck are the two people that don't like this?? 🤷‍♂️

It lives in Australia as well

so you are from New Zealand?

But what does it taste like. Should we be farming them as an alternative to chicken ?

Hmm not the Botw I expected. xD

Can the moho come back from extinction? Please Reply

What does it mean if a takahe is in your backyard?

Esta ave parece realmente fascinante tiene cara de matón me recuerda a la kookaburra

Fu*kn dinosaurs.

I have the urge to go hunting.

reminds me of the dodo

Tui

They look like moa

Ta(h) ka(h) he(h)

Pukakas

Are you trying to sound like a synthesized voice ? Or are you a robot ?

The images of those many of those adult birds are concerning me because they look unhealthy. I hope they are learning more about their diet.

cHurD chonk+burd= ChuRD

Peter Griffin bird

Came here expecting Legend of Zelda.

Lol

I don't think that's the Māori (i.e. correct) pronunciation of takahē but I don't speak Māori and I'm not Māori so I'm not sure

A video of pictures is not a video.

nice april fools joke everyone simply know that new zealand doesn't exist