Purply-blue pooks strutting about with their tail tufts twit-twit-twitching add colour and character to our swamps and roadside ditches. Despite appearances, they're a savvy native with attitude and awesome ancestors...
You can ID a pūkeko by its loud ‘sqwareech' or spot it using these vital statistics... [more]
Largely vegetarian, pooks will scoff down seeds, shoots, and the roots of aquatic plants... [more]
The pūkeko is often confused with its close rellie - the rarer, larger and heavier takahē... [more]
You'll find a cousin of the pūkeko in most countries around the world... [more]
Striking, blue body feathers mean pooks often end up woven into traditional Māori cloaks... [more]
Pūkeko swim, run and fly (they're a multisport bird!)... [more]
