New Zealand is home to many weird and wonderful bird species, including quite a few that can't fly. This is easily explained by the absence of land mammals on these islands since the time of the dinosaurs. Since human arrived and brought other mammals with them, many of these unusual bird species have become vulnerable. Like island species elsewhere, some have become extinct, and many others are now in danger of extinction.
Following a suggestion from the editorial team, I used my latest feature to study (from the other side of the world) the intriguing world of NZ birds and the conservation work that is needed to keep them alive:
Land of the birds that walk
Current Biology Volume 33, Issue 19, 9. October 2023, Pages R987-R990
Restricted access to full text and PDF download
(will become open access one year after publication)
Magic link for free access
(first seven weeks only)
See also my Mastodon thread where I will highlight all this year's CB features.
The endangered kakapo is one of New Zealand’s 16 surviving species of flightless birds. Twice winner of the Bird of the Year competition, it is benefiting from intensive conservation management. (Photo: Jake Osborne/Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0).)
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