They are found only in New Zealand.
They live on mountain grasslands. In winters with heavy snow they will shelter in the forest below.
They are very large birds, reaching up to 20 inches tall and more than 6 pounds. They have green and blue feathers and a red patch on their head. They have a big, pink beak.
They do not fly. Introduced predators like cats and rats have brought the bird to the edge of extinction. They are extremely endangered.
They eat a kind of grass called snow tussock.
They build a nest of grass under a tussock. The female lays 1-3 eggs. Both parents help warm (incubate) the eggs for the month until they hatch and then feed the chicks.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Rallidae
Genus: Porphyrio
Species: P. hochstetteri
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