- Conservation status
- In serious trouble
Known as the bird which became alive again, the takahē was thought to be extinct for 50 years until 1948. There are now recovery programmes to prevent the extinction of New Zealand's biggest flightless bird.
Campaign Manager
Jaimee Maha
Known as the bird that came alive again, the takahē is the largest flightless rail in the world, endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand. The takahē was considered extinct for over 50 years until the rediscovery of a remnant population in 1948, considered by some as "one of the greatest ornithological moments in history". Despite this fame (also as Mr T in our beloved Air New Zealand safety videos), its continued risk of becoming extinct, and the beauty of its remote and wild habitat, the Murchison Mountains, the takahē has never been the NZ Bird of the Year! Let's urgently change this together! #VoteTakahē
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