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Pukeko are not truly native to New Zealand, and two different Maori tribes have traditions of introducing them. Their original home was Australia, though they occur in New Guinea, and Indonesia. There are no fossil sites older than 400 years in New Zealand. They appear poor flyers, and certainly are reluctant flyers, but an isolated bird was discovered on an islet in the Kermadecs, so when pushed, they can obviously cover large distances.

They feed on vegetation shoots, and small invertebrates and snails, though they occasionally take small frogs, and eggs from other nests.

[Their cousin, the Takahe on the other hand, have been in New Zealand for over 1 million years, long enough to become flightless, probably due to the absence of predators. And have probably increased in mass during that time.]

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11y ago

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