A Kagu bird during display (Image by Google)
Some animals get me curious just because of their names. And, sometimes, the name itself isn't very interesting and I'll get curious anyway. Oh well. = P
This sympathetic little fellow is called Kagu or Cagou - which isn't a very pleasant word in Portuguese but what can we do, huh? - and its scientific name is Rhynochetos jubatus. It is a native of the main island of New Caledonia in the South Pacific and usually lives in tropical and dry forests.
Although they have some pretty big wings, the kagus are a flightless species and depend on their specialized feathers called powder downs (feathers make a powder that cleans and waterproofs the kagu in its wet habitat) to better survive in nature. And those wings aren't for nothing: in case a potential predator comes near to its chick, a parent kagu will flap its fully opened wings on the ground, as if injured, to distract the other animal away. Those dark stripes you can see in the picture above may surprise the enemy! They can also run quickly to escape danger and are really hard to find in their forest home (they usually live in places naturally sheltered by rocks, under tree roots or under rocks for resting spaces). The wings also serve to keep the bird's balance while climbing and "hopping" over rocks and other rough spots.
Their diet includes larvae, spiders, centipedes, bugs, cockroaches, millipedes, beetles, snails, worms, and even lizards! It is similar to herons and egrets, it has no known close relatives. The kagu is also considered an endangered species.
This sympathetic little fellow is called Kagu or Cagou - which isn't a very pleasant word in Portuguese but what can we do, huh? - and its scientific name is Rhynochetos jubatus. It is a native of the main island of New Caledonia in the South Pacific and usually lives in tropical and dry forests.
Although they have some pretty big wings, the kagus are a flightless species and depend on their specialized feathers called powder downs (feathers make a powder that cleans and waterproofs the kagu in its wet habitat) to better survive in nature. And those wings aren't for nothing: in case a potential predator comes near to its chick, a parent kagu will flap its fully opened wings on the ground, as if injured, to distract the other animal away. Those dark stripes you can see in the picture above may surprise the enemy! They can also run quickly to escape danger and are really hard to find in their forest home (they usually live in places naturally sheltered by rocks, under tree roots or under rocks for resting spaces). The wings also serve to keep the bird's balance while climbing and "hopping" over rocks and other rough spots.
Their diet includes larvae, spiders, centipedes, bugs, cockroaches, millipedes, beetles, snails, worms, and even lizards! It is similar to herons and egrets, it has no known close relatives. The kagu is also considered an endangered species.
~Ally
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