Birds
Tasmanian Nativehen
Tribonyx mortierii · also called Tasmanian native-hen
Sprinting across open Tasmanian grassland at a surprising pace, a Tasmanian nativehen proves that giving up flight entirely doesn’t mean giving up speed, a large flightless rail found nowhere else on Earth.
Overview
The Tasmanian nativehen, Tribonyx mortierii, is a large, flightless rail native to grassland habitat found throughout the island of Tasmania. Its complete restriction to Tasmania, surprising running speed despite total flightlessness, and tendency to live in cooperative family groups make it one of the most behaviourally distinctive and secure members of the entire rail family.
Speed without wings
Having lost the ability to fly entirely, the Tasmanian nativehen compensates with genuinely fast running, a trait that lets it cover open grassland and escape danger without ever needing to leave the ground.
Status
Least Concern, remaining common and widespread across suitable grassland habitat throughout Tasmania.
Tasmanian Nativehen: common questions
Where is the Tasmanian nativehen found?
This species is restricted entirely to the island of Tasmania, found nowhere else on Earth despite once occurring on the Australian mainland during prehistoric times before disappearing there.
Can the Tasmanian nativehen fly?
No, this species is completely flightless, though it can run at surprising speed across open grassland, relying on strong legs rather than wings to escape from danger.
Does the Tasmanian nativehen live alone or in groups?
This species often lives in cooperative family groups, with multiple birds sometimes assisting in raising a single brood of chicks, a social structure less common among many other rail species.
Is the Tasmanian nativehen endangered?
No, this species remains relatively common and widespread across suitable grassland habitat throughout Tasmania, unlike many of its more threatened relatives elsewhere in the rail family.