BirdsAroundWorld.comTakahe
Porphyrio hochstetteri
The Takahe (Porphyrio hochstetteri) is a bird found in New Zealand. Mountain grasslands and some predator-free islands in New Zealand. It eats leaves and other plant parts, seeds and nuts and insects and other small invertebrates. The IUCN Red List lists it as Endangered.
See the Takahe on the 3D globe →| Scientific name | Porphyrio hochstetteri |
|---|---|
| Region | Australia & Oceania |
| Found in | New Zealand |
🏡 Where the Takahe lives
Mountain grasslands and some predator-free islands in New Zealand.
🍽️ What it eats
- 🌿 Leaves & plants50%
- 🌰 Seeds & nuts30%
- 🐛 Insects & bugs10%
- 🦎 Reptiles & frogs10%
A rough guide to its diet over a year. Source: EltonTraits (Wilman et al. 2014).
Conservation status
Hear the Takahe
Recorded by Olivier SWIFT (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), xeno-canto XC500837. Trimmed to a few seconds.
Questions about the Takahe
Where does the Takahe live?
The Takahe lives in New Zealand. Mountain grasslands and some predator-free islands in New Zealand.
What does the Takahe eat?
leaves and other plant parts (about 50%), seeds and nuts (about 30%), insects and other small invertebrates (about 10%), reptiles and frogs (about 10%). These are rough shares of its diet over a year, from the EltonTraits database.
Is the Takahe endangered?
Very few are left in the wild. Its IUCN Red List category is Endangered.
More birds from Australia & Oceania
Sources: IUCN Red List (via Wikidata), EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014), GBIF sightings for countries, Wikipedia. Last updated 2026-10-19.