kokako

The kōkako belongs to the endemic New Zealand wattlebirds (Callaeidae), an ancient family of birds which includes the saddleback and the extinct huia. The kōkako is the only member of its family still surviving on the mainland. It has a pair of brightly coloured, fleshy "wattles" extending from either side of its gape to meet below the neck.

The North Is kōkako has blue wattles. The bird is not particularly good at flying and prefers to use its powerful legs to leap and run through the forest.

Learn more on the DOC site.

a bird in the hand is worth many in Otanewainuku Forest
Our first female kokako since the 1980s
setting mist nets
setting mist nets
mist nets
setting mist nets
playing kokako song to entice the birds
Dave Wills plays kokako song
carefully placing id bands on the legs
carefully placing ID bands on a leg
close up
ID bands