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Protected Threatened North Island Kokako


Protected Threatened North Island Kokako
Photo Information
Copyright: Pam Russell (coasties) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3817 W: 505 N: 8098] (27718)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-01-20
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF 100-400mm L IS USM, Digital RAW 200, Hoya UV 77mm
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-02-02 20:42
Viewed: 1294
Points: 38
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
South Island Kokako may soon become officially extinct. The Department of Conservation has changed its status from “nationally critical” to “extinct” in its recent draft of the triennial review of the status of New Zealand’s wildlife. This is very distressing news!

North Island Kokako

Belonging to the Wattlebird family, an ancient group of birds, the North Island Kokako have bright blue wattles at the base of the bill. Their plumage is mainly pale grey with a bluish tinge, long black legs, small rounded wings, long tail, and a black facial mask. The juveniles are born with pink wattles which slowly turn to lilac, then blue as they mature. The South Island sub-species, thought to be extinct, have bright orange wattles.

Due to their small wing size and large body they are poor fliers, moving through the forest by bounding from tree to tree using their strong legs. They will glide from the tree tops down to the lower branches or forest floor rather than flap their feeble wings.

They form life-long pairs and seldom stray from their permanent territories, preferring tall, mixed podocarp and hardwood forests with a high diversity of plant species. They feed all year on leaves at all levels of the forest, fruits when available and invertebrates during summer and autumn, especially when feeding chicks.

The Kokako is notable for its haunting, mournful organ or flute like calls, prolific at dawn. Other calls include a range of soft clucks and cat-like mewing notes.

Vital Statistics

Conservation Status: Protected Threatened Endemic
Mainland Status: N.I only, mainly northern Urewera
Size: 38cm, 230g
Life Span: 20+ Years
Breeding: October - December
Diet: Mainly foliage and fruit, some invertebrates
First Introduced to Tiri: 3 birds in 1997
Population on Tiri: 14 (June 2004)
Total Population: 1,400

Listen to the beautiful Kokako song

IMAGE INFORMATION

Camera: Canon 20D
Time of day: 4:16 p.m.
Date: 20th January 2007
Weather conditions: Clear
Lens: Canon 100-400mm L IS USM
Filter: Hoya 77mm UV
Shutter Speed: 1/50
F-Stop: F/7.1
Focal Length: 220mm
Support: Hand Held
ISO: 200
Original file type: Digital Raw
Tamrock, loot, pvs, Alex99, ramthakur, stevkds, Dave, manyee, peter_stoeckl, livios, marhowie has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Wow how sad to hear this news. The picture is lovely. I enjoyed the deep blue color of the bird and the fact that the fore and back grounds are out of focus. The composition is really nice.

I really enjoyed your picture...-= Luis =-

Beautiful shot of this rare kokako all with fantastic details and colors. You got a great shot Pam. :)

Hi Pam,
Awesome shot. Excellent detail and tones in the bird...good exposure. The composition is great to with no indication that the bird is captive.
Cheers
Paul

Hello Pam, nice presentation of this rare bird.
Excellent compo and details even in the low light.
Andrea

hi pam,
very fine capture,
well composed,
nice pov, good dof,
lovely coilours,
well done,
tfs & regards
pankaj

  • Great 
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1168 W: 261 N: 3035] (13835)
  • [2007-02-03 3:18]

Hi Pam,

A nice shot of this beatifull colored bird,its a pity that more and more beatifull animals become extincted,always sad news,

Paul

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3604 W: 143 N: 5699] (18633)
  • [2007-02-03 4:56]

Hi Pam.
Amazing POV, crop and details of the bird. Outstanding reflection of the bird feathers and their colours. BG is perfect coloured and blurred. Great work. My compliments and TFS.
Alexei.

hi pam!
what a great bird!
you capture it very nice
with good sharpness and
perfect exposed
fine compo to
well done!

Hi Pam,
Nice detail and tones, and composition, although cropping the lower right corner for just a head shot would give nice portrate too.
TFS Paul

This is a unique looking bird and its extinction could be a great setback to the conservation of wild life on earth, Pam. Your picture shows there are some still left, so why can't they do something about it?
The picture is wonderful in every respect.
Regards,
Ram

Hi Pam.
Technically perfect picture. Very pure and sharp shot.This is such an amazing view. Very well done. TFS. Stev

  • Great 
  • Dave Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 525 W: 47 N: 674] (2173)
  • [2007-02-03 21:08]

Good presentation and introduction to this bird Pam!
We'll have to hope it can survive. I can only imagine that it is an easy target to predators due to its poor flight performance, but I am speculating.

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3068 W: 231 N: 6168] (21078)
  • [2007-02-04 2:20]

Thank you for showing us this amazing bird.
It must be a thrill to see such a rare bird with your own eyes.
I like the way it is peeking out from behind the tree.
Excellent sharpness and beautiful colors.
TFS. : )

hi Pam,
cheer very beautiful catch of sight one would say that it plays has mask hides with you very good cheer composition

eric

Hello Pam,
most distressing news, indeed.
Your picture is showing this wonderful Kokako very clearly and lively in a very natural looking place in a very nice pose, very well approached from behind that tree.
Wonderful idea to make its song availabe for us here!
Thank you! Best regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2156 W: 322 N: 4258] (16906)
  • [2007-02-04 15:48]

Pam, excellent sharpness, composition and "pose".

Lovely colors and great 3-D effect. Perfect exposure and bg.

I like catchlight too.

Congratulations.

  • Great 
  • loot Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5452 W: 594 N: 3665] (10077)
  • [2007-02-04 16:48]
  • [2]

Hi Pam

Wow Pam, that song is not just a normal call of a bird, but it is a whole musical composition with amazing sounds and notes. It sure is beautiful and thanks for including the link in your notes. That song is befitting to such a lovely bird as your kokako with its blue wattles on its bill. This one seems to have been rather curious peeping from behind the fern. Well captured and presented in this posting with excellent details and exposure.

Well done and TFS.
Regards
Loot

PS. Sorry for the quickie, but time is in terrible short supply this weekend.

Hi Pam,
I saw this one earlier & meant to get back to it.. So many photos, so little time ;)
I think it's a great profile portrait with razor sharp detail..so you were hiding just to the other side of the tree then?? :)
All the technical stuff is excellent mf.
The near extinct status is very sad of course.
Very well done!

Hi Pam,
it's a shame that as a species we have to affect our habitat in such terrible ways. This is a very nice image, you did well in using the colors of it's surroundings while limiting depth of field to help it stand out. The detail in the feathers is especially nice. Well done.
Saludos
Kevin

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