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New Zealand Department of Conservation staff have discovered a specimen of the small spotted kiwi (kiwi pukupuku), a species that was considered extinct and has not been seen in the wild for 50 years, "MIR24" TV channel reported, citing Radio New Zealand (RNZ).
The bird was spotted in a remote area of the West Coast. After receiving a tip from a ranger, a team of biodiversity experts headed to the area to conduct a search.
The experts noted the unusual nature of the birds' calls, which differed from the sounds of ordinary kiwis. They soon managed to catch a live female pukupuku. Genetic analysis of the feather samples they took confirmed that the individual belonged to a long-extinct species - the smallest of all kiwi species.
The last sighting of the Pukupuku kiwi in New Zealand was in 1978. The species is critically endangered due to its extreme vulnerability to predators.
After installing the tracking sensor, the bird was returned to its natural habitat. The data obtained will allow us to estimate the size of the surviving population.