Weka
A species of Australasian-pacific Rails Scientific name : Gallirallus australis Genus : Australasian-pacific Rails
Weka, A species of Australasian-pacific Rails
Botanical name: Gallirallus australis
Genus: Australasian-pacific Rails
Content
Description People often ask General Info
Description
The flightless weka is a sturdy bird whose color varies depending on its local habitat, and can be found from different shades of brown to almost fully black. Famously feisty, this bird has been known to come right up to people. It often wields its surprisingly powerful beak like a hammer, to split seeds, announce its presence to a person getting too close, or to break open a tasty egg.
Size
46 - 60 cm
Life Expectancy
18 years
Feeding Habits
Weka are omnivorous, eating 30% animal prey—worms, insects, larvae, small vertebrates—and 70% plant matter like leaves and berries. They forage by digging and exhibit unique predation on shearwater young among certain populations.
Habitat
Weka are versatile in their habitat preferences, ranging from dense forests with thick understorey to open sub-alpine tussock grasslands. These birds are commonly found in a variety of landscapes, including woodlands, scrublands, grasslands, and even modified habitats such as semi-urban areas with lawns and cultivated lands. Weka can also be spotted along coastlines, navigating sandy and rocky shores, as well as in the vicinity of estuarine and freshwater wetlands. They tend to favor areas with low vegetation that provides shelter but allows for ease of movement, from sea-level to altitudes of up to approximately 1500 meters, often preferring lower altitudes.
Dite type
Omnivorous
People often ask
General Info
Distribution Area
The buff weka (Gallirallus australis hectori) formerly inhabited the eastern districts of the South Island but is now confined to Chatham Island and Pitt Island to which it was introduced in the early 1900s, and where they are widely hunted and eaten, being considered 'introduced'. The western weka (Gallirallus australis australis) is found mainly in the northern and western regions of the South Island from Nelson to Fiordland. 
Species Status
Weka are classed as a vulnerable species. The Department of Conservation's weka recovery plan, approved in 1999, aims to improve the conservation status of threatened weka, clarify the status of data deficient weka, maintain the non-threatened status of other weka, and eventually restore all weka to their traditional ranges as a significant component of the ecosystems. Weka are unable to withstand the current pressures faced in both the North Island and South Island.
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