| Rhynochetos Temporal range: Late Holocene | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Rhynochetos jubatus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Eurypygiformes |
| Family: | Rhynochetidae |
| Genus: | Rhynochetos Verreaux & Des Murs, 1860 |
| Species | |
See text | |
Rhynochetos is a genus of ground-dwelling [1] birds in the monotypic family Rhynochetidae. It contains two species, both endemic to New Caledonia, one of which is extinct. [2]
Rhynochetos jubatus is the only extant species of this genus and of the family Rhynochetidae. It is closely related to birds of the tropical Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans with its closest living relative being the sunbittern (Eurypyga helias). [3] Currently there are two described species of Rhynochetos, however, it has been suggested that the extinct Rhynochetos orarius and the extant Rhynochetos jubatus are the same species. [4]
Kagus are large, flightless birds described as something "between a small heron and a rail". [5] Adults are about 55 centimetres (22 in) tall with uniform ash-grey plumage with distinct orange-red bills and legs. [6] Characteristic of these birds are long crest feathers. They weigh between 700 and 1,000 grams (25 and 35 oz), with no significant size difference between males and females.[ citation needed ]
Herons can look anatomically similar but can be distinguished by the lack of bare red parts and uniform grey plumage. [6]
Kagus are endemic to the small islands of New Caledonia in the South Pacific, measuring 8,000 square miles. [1] They inhabit remote, dense tropical forest regions in valleys of the southern mountainous region, as well as tall shrublands in lesser numbers. They tend to avoid shallow shrublands and savannah-grassland habitats. [5] Typically, they require a dense canopy layer as well as a thick litter layer in which they forage for food. [7]
The distribution of kagus over the island is very fragmented due to a very patchy forest cover. The forests lie of ultrabasic rocks, which tend to have less extensive forest cover. On these rocks, forests are restricted to higher altitudes and along water systems. Dry season fires also contribute to decreasing forest cover and thus further fragmentation of kagu populations. [5]
Kagus have distinct sex-specific songs which they sing in the early morning. [5] These songs can carry for distances of up to 2 km. Mating pairs will often sing duets in the early morning, which may be territorial behaviour. Males tend to sing more frequently than females, and solitary songs tend to belong to males more often than females.
Kagu calls have been described as strange. They have various quiet hissing sounds and rattling calls. [5]
Kagus forage most of the day for food in the litter layer and in low parts of trees and trunks. [3] They are generalists, eating a wide variety of prey, from invertebrates such as earthworms, beetles and snails to lizards and small fish. Their food supply is influenced by seasonality, eating larger prey when there is more food availability, such as in wetter seasons. In drier seasons, kagus will eat smaller prey such as larvae. In wetter seasons, when food is more available, they will spend less of the day foraging and carry out other activities, such as preening. [3]
Kagu pairs nest in large permanent territories. [5] Outside of breeding the male and the female will live separately within their shared territory. There is no well-defined breeding season, however, pairs tend to have more breeding attempts during wetter periods. Some young may remain in their parent's territory for several years, even helping in rearing younger siblings. [8]
Kagus raise on average about one hatchling yearly. The amount of breeding attempts of kagus are very variable, with any from 0-7 breeding attempts per year possible until a successful breeding attempt takes place. They will lay and incubate a single egg for about 5 weeks. At 3 days old, the parents will feed the chick during the day and brood at night. This will occur for 2 months, at the end of which the fledgling will be two thirds of its adult body size. The fledgling will typically be fed until it reaches 3.5 to 4 months of age. [3] Kagus have long lifespans, with many living 20 to 30 years in captivity. [1]
Prior to the discovery of the island by Captain James Cook in 1774, there was a healthy population of both species of Rhynochetos. Following the discovery of the island, various human activities threatened the stability of kagu populations. The kagus began being trapped heavily, both for its meat and for its export. The beautiful display of the male led to its export around the world to zoos and museums. Introduced domestic animals, such as cats and dogs are a major threat to the kagus. They roam free around the island and eat adults, juveniles and eggs. Other human activity, such as logging and hunting has further fragmented their habitat. [1] These birds tend to avoid human settlements; areas with increased human activity tend to have lower numbers. Maintenance of genetic diversity of the kagus is therefore threatened as further fragmentation is further isolating patches and may decrease migration between the patches. [5]
Cassowaries are flightless birds of the genus Casuarius in the order Casuariiformes. They are classified as ratites: flightless birds without a keel on their sternum bones. Cassowaries are native to the tropical forests of New Guinea, The Moluccas, and northeastern Australia.
The Steller sea lion is a large, near-threatened species of sea lion, predominantly found in the coastal marine habitats of the northeast Pacific Ocean and the Pacific Northwest regions of North America, from north-central California to Oregon, Washington and British Columbia to Alaska. Its range continues across the Northern Pacific and the Aleutian Islands, all the way to Kamchatka, Magadan Oblast, and the Sea of Okhotsk, south to Honshu's northern coastline. It is the sole member of the genus Eumetopias, and the largest of the so-called eared seals (Otariidae). Among pinnipeds, only the walrus and the two species of elephant seal are bigger. The species is named for the naturalist and explorer Georg Wilhelm Steller, who first described them in 1741. Steller sea lions have attracted considerable attention in recent decades, both from scientists and the general public, due to significant declines in their numbers over an extensive portion of their northern range, notably in Alaska.
The sunbittern is a bittern-like bird of tropical regions of the Americas, and the sole member of the family Eurypygidae and genus Eurypyga. It is found in Central and South America, and has three subspecies. The sunbittern shows both morphological and molecular similarities with the kagu of New Caledonia, indicating a gondwanic origin, both species being placed in the clade Eurypygiformes.
Accipiter is a genus of birds of prey in the family Accipitridae. With around 50 recognized species it is the most diverse genus in its family. Most species are called goshawks or sparrowhawks, although with the exception of the American goshawk almost all New World species are simply known as "hawks". They can be anatomically distinguished from their relatives by the lack of a procoracoid foramen. Two small and aberrant species usually placed here do possess a large procoracoid foramen and are also distinct as regards DNA sequence. They may warrant separation in the old genus Hieraspiza.
The white-shouldered ibis is a large species of bird in the family Threskiornithidae. It is native to small regions of Southeast Asia, and is considered to be one of the most threatened bird species on this part of the continent.
The welcome swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae that is native to Australia and nearby islands. It has self-introduced into New Zealand in the middle of the twentieth century. It is very similar to the Pacific swallow with which it is often considered conspecific.
The biodiversity of New Caledonia is of exceptional biological and paleoecological interest. It is frequently referred to as a biodiversity hotspot. The country is a large South Pacific archipelago with a total land area of more than 18,000 square kilometres (6,900 sq mi). The terrain includes a variety of reefs, atolls, small islands, and a variety of topographical and edaphic regions on the largest island, all of which promote the development of unusually concentrated biodiversity. The region's climate is oceanic and tropical.
The flightless cormorant, also known as the Galapagos cormorant, is a cormorant endemic to the Galapagos Islands, and an example of the highly unusual fauna there. It is unique in that it is the only known cormorant that has lost the ability to fly. It was placed in its own genus, Nannopterum, but then was later placed with most of the other cormorants in the genus Phalacrocorax. A 2014 study supported reclassifying it and two other American cormorant species back into Nannopterum. The IOC followed this classification in 2021.
The nankeen night heron is a heron that belongs to the genus Nycticorax and the family Ardeidae. Due to its distinctive reddish-brown colour, it is also commonly referred to as the rufous night heron. It is primarily nocturnal and is observed in a broad range of habitats, including forests, meadows, shores, reefs, marshes, grasslands, and swamps. The species is 55 to 65 cm in length, with rich cinnamon upperparts and white underparts. The nankeen night heron has a stable population size, and is classified as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Sylviornis is an extinct genus of large, flightless bird that was endemic to the islands of New Caledonia in the Western Pacific. It is considered to constitute one of two genera in the extinct family Sylviornithidae, alongside Megavitiornis from Fiji, which are related to the Galliformes, the group containing the turkeys, chickens, quails and pheasants. Sylviornis was never encountered alive by scientists, but it is known from many thousands of subfossil bones found in deposits, some of them from the Holocene, on New Caledonia and the adjacent Île des Pins. It was likely hunted to extinction shortly after the first human arrival to New Caledonia around 1500 BC.
The snoring rail, also known as the Celebes rail or Platen's rail, is a large flightless rail and the only member of the genus Aramidopsis. The species is endemic to Indonesia, and it is found exclusively in dense vegetation in wet areas of Sulawesi and nearby Buton. The rail has grey underparts, a white chin, brown wings and a rufous patch on the hind-neck. The sexes are similar, but the female has a brighter neck patch and a differently coloured bill and iris. The typical call is the snoring: ee-orrrr sound that gives the bird its English name.
The lesser sooty owl is a medium-sized barn owl endemic to the wet tropics region of Australia. Once considered a subspecies of the greater sooty owl, it is distinguished by its dark plumage, heavier spotting, and higher-pitched call. The lesser sooty owl has a limited range within northeastern Australia and primarily lives in dark, sheltered areas of the rainforest.
The paradise kingfishers are a group of tree kingfishers endemic to New Guinea — with the exception of two species also present in the Moluccas and Queensland.
The forest canary is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae. It is found in South Africa and Eswatini. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.
The white-throated nightjar or white-throated eared-nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is endemic to eastern Australia; it is a non-breeding winter visitor in Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.
The Ouvea parakeet or Uvea parakeet, is a species of parrot in the genus Eunymphicus, in the family Psittaculidae. It is endemic to the island of Uvea in the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia. The species was once considered conspecific with the horned parakeet of Grande Terre, but they have now been split into two species.
The New Caledonian gallinule was a species of bird in the family Rallidae. It was endemic to New Caledonia and probably became extinct due to hunting, habitat loss and the presence of invasive species following human settlement of the island. However a passage from an 1860 article refers to birds the size of turkeys being present in marshy areas of New Caledone, suggesting that it may have survived into historic times. The native name n'dino is thought to refer to this bird.
The kagu or cagou is a crested, long-legged, and bluish-grey bird endemic to the dense mountain forests of New Caledonia. It is the only surviving member of the genus Rhynochetos and the family Rhynochetidae, although a second species has been described from the fossil record.
Eurypygiformes is an order formed by the kagus, comprising two species in the family Rhynochetidae endemic to New Caledonia, and the sunbittern from the tropical regions of the Americas. Its closest relatives appear to be the tropicbirds of the tropical Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans.
The lowland kagu is a large, extinct species of kagu. It was endemic to the island of New Caledonia in Melanesia in the south-west Pacific region. It was described from subfossil bones found at the Pindai Caves paleontological site on the west coast of Grande Terre. The holotype is a right tibiotarsus, held by the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris. The specific epithet comes from the Latin orarius from its presumed lowland distribution, as opposed to its congener the living kagu R. jubatus.
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