Bird Album
Kagu
Rhynochetos jubatus Verreaux, J & des Murs, 1860
55 cmLength860 gWeight
The kagu or cagou (Rhynochetos jubatus) is a crested, long-legged, and bluish-grey bird endemic to the dense mountain forests of New Caledonia.
Busiest months: October–November · Most records: New Caledonia
Where and when it's recorded
Kagu has been recorded at 6 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Parc de la Rivière BleueNew Caledonia331 records
- Parc des Grandes FougèresNew Caledonia113 records
- Route du Kaori Géant, Province Sud, NC (-22,109, 166,691)New Caledonia38 records
More places
- Refugio de FarinoNew Caledonia12 records
- Noumea – Parc ForestierNew Caledonia8 records
- Parc les Grandes Fougéres – access roadNew Caledonia4 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The kagu or cagou (Rhynochetos jubatus) is a crested, long-legged, and bluish-grey bird endemic to the dense mountain forests of New Caledonia. It is the only surviving member of the genus Rhynochetos and family Rhynochetidae, although a second species has been described from the fossil record.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Kagu?
The Kagu is about 55 cm long and weighs around 860 g.
Where does the Kagu live?
Its breeding range: Australasia: Grande Terre (New Caledonia). It is most often recorded in New Caledonia.
When is the best time to see the Kagu?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October and November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Kagu endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Kagu as Endangered.
What does the Kagu eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Kagu in?
It belongs to the family Kagu (Rhynochetidae), order Eurypygiformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 55 cm
- Weight
- 860 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Endangered
More measurements
- Wing
- 264 mm
- Tail
- 184 mm
- Bill
- 67 mm
- Tarsus
- 100 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Australasia: Grande Terre (New Caledonia)
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Eurypygiformes
- Family
- Kagu Rhynochetidae
- Genus
- Rhynochetos
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Frédéric Desmoulins. ↗
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