Today, we are going to learn about a bird heading towards extinction, the Kagu or cagou. This almost flightless bird can be found scurrying through the dense mountain forests of New Caledonia. It would be unfortunate if the Kagu becomes extinct for many reasons but the fact that they are so unique would make the loss even more heartbreaking. The Kagu is the sole representative of its family, which means their family reunions would be very quiet. Let's take a quick virtual trip to New Caledonia to learn about the most interesting ground birds. Because I have already said that these birds cannot fly so they are not found in any other part of the world.
The Kagu is a ground-living bird about the size of a chicken found in the forests and shrubland of New Caledonia. The kagu is 55 cm in length. The weight can vary considerably by individual and by season, ranging from 700 to 1,100 grams. Its plumage is unusually bright for a bird of the forest floor; ash-grey and white coloured. There is little sexual dimorphism beyond a difference in the amount of barring in the primary feathers. It possesses powder down which helps keep it dry and insulates it in the extremes of New Caledonia's tropical climate. The crest, which is used to display to other members of the species, is barely noticeable when at rest but can be erected and fanned out.
It is nearly flightless, using its wings for displays, its primary wing feathers are patterned and for moving quickly through the forest. It can also use them to glide when fleeing danger. The wings are not reduced in size like some other flightless birds, and have a span of around 77.5 cm, but they lack the musculature for flight. It possesses bright red legs which are long and strong, enabling the bird to travel long distances on foot and run quickly.
Kagu has large eyes, positioned so that they give good binocular vision which is helpful in finding prey in the leaf litter and seeing in the gloom of the forest. It possesses 'nasal corns', structures covering its nostrils, which are a feature not shared by any other bird. These are presumed to prevent particles entering the nostrils when probing in soil during feeding. Another unique characteristic of the species is that it has only one-third as many red blood cells and three times more hemoglobin per red blood cell than is usual in birds.
You can learn some interesting fact about this bird in this video given below.
More info: youtu.be