Bird Profile: The Pukeko
The pukeko. The first thing you will notice about this bird is most likely their red feet. They are huge. Comically so. They have four very long toes, each ending in a very sharp talon. Have a closer look at them. They are very quite fascinating. You do not want to be on the receiving end of these. I once went too close to one of their babies and got a high kick in the face. That is another fact about these birds; they are great parents haha.
Back to the feet talk (ohh lalala. feet talk). They use these long feet in fights between each other, by going onto their back and raising their legs and kind of kicking at each other. They also use them to pick up grass, or leaves and eat them while holding them in a similar manner to a parrot.
They are very pretty birds. They have blue iridescent feathers on their chest, and black feathers on their wings and face. Their under feather, aka their butt feathers, are white. You can see these a lot during mating season, as the female will show her white feathers off and the male will chase her. These birds are so pretty that back in Ancient Greece, many swamp hens were imported from Africa for the express purpose of having them walk around rich grecians palaces. To beautify the joint up with their lovely purple/blue feathers.
Let’s get Social: Their social dynamics are interesting. They live in groups. Each group holds a certain territory, with birds mating with multiple partners, and everyone pitching in to raise the chicks in a single nest. The females and males of the group take turns incubating the egg and raising the young. Some of the female pukekos in the group are non-breeding, and these are normally offspring from previous matings. These pukekos are the helpers or the helpful aunties, and will assist with the hatching and rearing of the chicks.
Let’s get physical: The mating dance of the Pukeko is quite loud and chaotic. The males will chase a female, using their long and deadly feet to push her on the ground. Once she is crouched on the ground, a male will mount her while the others kind of look on. Sometimes, more than one male will try and climb on board so to speak, and this will inevitably cause the female to escape due to there being too many cooks in the kitchen so to speak.
Once they have successfully mated, the females will lay beige speckled eggs, in a nest which is typically made from flattened down reeds and marsh by the waterside.
If you see one of their babies, you are in for a treat. They are little fluffy balls of cuteness. They are all black, and have very long legs. But as they are so small, it is comical. However, do make sure that you do not go too close to their babies, they have been known to warn off threats.
Glorious Food: They feed predominantly on vegetation; roots, seeds, and leaves. They have also been known to eat other birds, their chicks and eggs, as well as frogs.
They are fast runners, and you will see some sprinting around you. Especially if someone is feeding the birds somewhere in the park. They can also fly, though it does appear a little awkward and clumsy with their long legs sticking out the back. Swimming is also on their list of skills, and you will on occasion see a pukeko swim by.
They have a red beak which extends to a frontal shield on their face. This frontal shield is not hard like their beak, but fleshy and can grow as well as shrink.
An interesting study conducted by Cody Dey found that the size of the pukekos frontal shield is directly related to their ranking or dominance in their social group. The bigger their frontal shield is, the more dominant they are, and the smaller it is, the more submissive they are in the group hierarchy. Interesting enough, this frontal shield can also grow or shrink in accordance to their latest interaction for dominance. If they are successful, then it can grow; if they were not, then it may shrink.
Found: All over New Zealand . From paddock to marshland, to some peoples backyards. They are a common sight here in New Zealand. They are often overlooked because of this common nature, but the pukeko is a very special bird.