Tasmanian Nativehen

About the Tasmanian Nativehen

The Tasmanian nativehen (Tribonyx mortierii) (alternative spellings: Tasmanian native-hen or Tasmanian native hen), 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.

The species was originally described in 1840 as Tribonyx mortierii — the mortierii being in honour of Belgian botanist Barthélemy Charles Joseph Dumortier. The palawa kani name for the Tasmanian nativehen is piyura, from the Swanport/Oyster Bay language region. Local nicknames include narkie, waterhen and turbo chook, despite the species being in the Rallidae family and not being related to junglefowl or the domestic chicken.

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... Wikipedia →