Kagu

Common card · No. 291151

The kagu or cagou (Rhynochetos jubatus) 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 family Rhynochetidae, although a second species has been described from the fossil record. Measuring 55 cm (22 in) in length, it has pale grey plumage and bright red legs. Its nasal corns are a unique feature not shared with any other bird. Almost flightless, it spends its time on or near the ground, where it hunts its invertebrate prey and builds a nest of sticks on the forest floor. Both parents share incubation of a single egg and rearing the chick. It has proven vulnerable to introduced predators and is threatened with extinction.

Read on Wikipedia · Image JJ Harrison, CC BY-SA 3.0