- Tribonyx mortierii
Identification
45 cm. Pale yellow bill, bright red eye, green-brown above and slate-grey on the flanks with white flashes. The tail and abdomen are black.
Distribution
Endemic to Tasmania (Australia).
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Formerly placed in genus Gallinula.
Habitat
Marshes, river flats and near fresh water streams and rivers. The ideal habitat is short, grazed pasture and damp pasture near streams with grassy vegetation for nesting.
Behaviour
A large number of species prey upon them. These include quolls, Tasmanian Devils, kookaburras, ravens, gulls and birds of prey, including eagles. In addition to the above, their eggs are also taken by Swamp Harriers.
Breeding
The clutch contains between 5-10 eggs, usually 5; the nest is in long grassy vegetation. They may have more than one clutch each year. Socially, their organisation appears to be unique as about half are monogomous the rest polygamous.
Diet
Their diet consists mostly of grasses, seeds, clover and legumes. The youngsters eat insects.
Flight
They don't seem able to fly but they are swim well and are very fast runners.
Ref
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Tasmanian Nativehen. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 20 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Tasmanian_Nativehen
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
