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Tasmanian Nativehen

Tribonyx mortierii

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernEndemicOmnivoreWetlandCavity nestLarge · 1.3 kg
Tasmanian Nativehen (Tribonyx mortierii), photo 1
Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0
Tasmanian Nativehen (Tribonyx mortierii), photo 2
Photo: Flying Freddy (talk) · CC BY 3.0
Tasmanian Nativehen (Tribonyx mortierii), photo 3
Photo: Flying Freddy (talk) · CC BY 3.0
Tasmanian Nativehen (Tribonyx mortierii), photo 4
Photo: Gary Houston · CC0
Tasmanian Nativehen (Tribonyx mortierii), photo 5
Photo: Gary Houston · CC0
Tasmanian Nativehen (Tribonyx mortierii), photo 6
Photo: Photographer: Felix Wilson · CC BY 2.5
Tasmanian Nativehen (Tribonyx mortierii), photo 7
Photo: Steven Penton from Bakers Beach, Tasmania Australia · CC BY 2.0
Tasmanian Nativehen (Tribonyx mortierii), photo 8
Photo: Greg Schechter from San Francisco, USA · CC BY 2.0
Tasmanian Nativehen (Tribonyx mortierii), photo 9
Photo: Nick Fitzgerald · CC BY 3.0

ID tip

The Tasmanian nativehen is a stocky flightless bird between 43 and 51 centimetres (17 and 20 in) in length. The upperparts are olive-brown with a white patch on the flank. The underparts are darker with a bluish-grey tinge. The short tail is close to black and mostly held erect. The legs are thick and powerful, with a grey scaly appearance and sharp claws. The eyes are bright red. The bill has a small greenish-yellow frontal shield. The juvenile bird is similar in appearance to the adult, though the colours are more subdued on the body and the underparts have fine white spots. Voice: The species has 14 separate calls, ranging from low grunts to high pitched alarm calls as well as a see-sawing duet performed in unison, rising to a crescendo of harsh screeching notes, It also calls at night.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Tasmanian Nativehen

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is November, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Tasmanian Nativehen

Regular range

The map shades 1 country with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Australia

About the Tasmanian Nativehen

The Tasmanian nativehen, also known by its palawa kani name piyura, is a flightless rail and one of twelve species of birds endemic to Australia's island state of Tasmania. Although many flightless birds have a history of extinction at the hands of humans, the species has actually benefited from the introduction of European-style agricultural practices in Tasmania. Its success may also be attributed to the recent extinction of its main predator, the thylacine.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Black-tailed Nativehen (Tribonyx ventralis) Black-tailed NativehenTribonyx ventralisThe black-tailed nativehen is a large dark bird, reaching about 38 cm in length and weighing around 400 g (0.88 lb).

Side by side: Black-tailed Nativehen vs Tasmanian Nativehen

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