The Hunt for the South Island Kōkako: New Zealand's Long-Lost Bird

An Ancient Species Rediscovered

The South Island kōkako (Callaeas cinereus) is a forest bird endemic to the South Island and Stewart Island of New Zealand. Unlike its close relative, the North Island kōkako, the South Island kōkako is an ancient bird once widespread in southern New Zealand forests. It was listed as extinct until 2013 when its status was reclassified as data deficient by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Physical Characteristics

The South Island kōkako was a large blue-grey bird with a black facial mask, large dark eyes, and two orange fleshy wattles at the base of the short, robust, slightly curved black bill. The kōkako belongs to the endemic New Zealand wattlebirds, an ancient family of birds which includes the North and South Island saddleback and the extinct huia.