Animals /
Birds Living

Wek

Gallirallus australis

The weka, also known as the Māori hen or woodhen (Gallirallus australis) is a flightless bird species of the rail family. It is endemic to New Zealand. Some authorities consider it as the only extant member of the genus Gallirallus. Four subspecies are recognized but only two (northern/southern) are supported by genetic evidence.

Overview

The weka, also known as the Māori hen or woodhen (Gallirallus australis) is a flightless bird species of the rail family. It is endemic to New Zealand. Some authorities consider it as the only extant member of the genus Gallirallus. Four subspecies are recognized but only two (northern/southern) are supported by genetic evidence.
The weka are sturdy brown birds about the size of a chicken. As omnivores, they feed mainly on invertebrates and fruit. Weka usually lay eggs between August and January; both sexes help to incubate.

Video

Weka on Ulva Island, Paterson Inlet, Rakiura (Stewart Island) New Zealand.Credit: Mosborne01 · CC BY-SA 3.0Source ↗

Sounds

callcraig wilson · Birchfield, Buller District, West Coast Region, New Zealand · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References

  1. GBIF Auto Sync GBIF
  2. Wikipedia — Weka Wikipedia

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