"also trapped for food and was considered a delicacy by European colonisers. It was also fashionable to own kagus as pets. A campaign was run from 1977–1982 to phase out the pet trade in kagus. Today, the kagu is considered very important in New Caledonia; it is a high-profile endemic emblem for the territory. Its distinctive song used to be played to the nation every night as the island's TV station signed off the air. Its survival is considered important for the territory's economy and image. Kagu The kagu or cagou (""Rhynochetos jubatus"") is a crested, long-legged, and bluish-grey bird"
"crest and wings are used in territorial displays towards other kagu, slightly different displays are used towards potential predators. Territorial disputes may be resolved by fighting using wings and bills, in the wild this seldom results in serious injuries. The kagu is exclusively carnivorous, feeding on a variety of animals with annelid worms, snails and lizards being amongst the most important prey items. Also taken are larvae, spiders, centipedes and insects such as grasshoppers, bugs, and beetles. The majority of the diet is obtained from the leaf litter or soil, with other prey items found in vegetation, old logs and"
"adult body size. The fledgling will typically be fed until it reaches 3.5 to 4 months of age. Kagus have long lifespans, with many living 20 to 30 years in captivity. Prior to the discovery of the Island by Captain James Cook in 1774, there was a healthy population of both species of ""Rhynochetos"". Following the discovery of the island, various human activities threatened the stability of Kagu populations. The Kagus began being trapped heavily, both for its meat and for its export. The beautiful display of the male led to its export around the world to zoos and museums."
"the early morning. These songs can carry for distances of up to 2 km. Mating pairs will often sing duets in the early morning, which may be territorial behavior. Males tend to sing more frequently than females, and solitary songs tend to belong to males more often than females. Kagu calls have been described as strange. They have various quiet hissing sounds and rattling calls. Kagus forage most of the day for food in the litter layer and in low parts of trees and trunks. They are generalists, eating a wide variety of prey, from invertebrates such as earthworms, beetles"
"something ""between and small heron and a rail"". Adults are about tall with uniform ash-grey plumage with distinct orange-red bills and legs. Characteristic of these birds are long crest feathers. They weigh between , with no significant size difference between males and females. Herons can look anatomically similar but can be distinguished by the lack of bare red parts and uniform grey plumage. Kagus are endemic to the small New Caledonia Island in the South Pacific, measuring 8,000 square miles. They inhabit remote, dense tropical forest regions in valleys of the southern mountainous region, as well as tall shrublands in"
"some range contraction due to hunting and predation by introduced species. Its original, pre-human distribution, and the extent to which it and its sister species ""R. orarius"" coexisted in lowland areas of New Caledonia, is still not fully understood and awaits further research into the subfossil record. Kagu are territorial, maintaining year-round territories of around 10–28 hectares (22–62 acres). Within the territory the pairs are solitary during the non-breeding season, and may have separate but overlapping foraging areas. Kagus make a range of different sounds, most commonly while duetting in the morning, each duet lasting about 15 minutes. The kagu's"
"Both parents share incubation of a single egg, as well as rearing the chick. It has proven vulnerable to introduced predators and is threatened with extinction. The kagu's affinities are not well resolved. It was long one of the most enigmatic birds and in more recent times is usually affiliated with the Gruiformes. It was initially classed as a member of the clade Ardeidae because of the presence of powder down, similarities in plumage colour and internal anatomy, the colour of the chicks and eggs, and the change in colouration of the chick as it grows. When seen as a"
"have been found on the Ile des Pines. The kagu is a habitat generalist and able to exist in a range of different forest types if sufficient prey is present, from rain forest to drier lowland forest. They are also able to feed in some drier shrubland associated with the island's ultrabasic rocks, although not in the low-prey, poor shrubland of this type. They are also absent from areas where extensive ground cover makes foraging difficult, such as grassland or areas with high fern cover, but may pass through such areas to reach other foraging areas. The species has undergone"
"Kakapo The kakapo (Māori: kākāpō) or ""night parrot"", also called owl parrot (""Strigops habroptilus""), is a species of large, flightless, nocturnal, ground-dwelling parrot of the super-family Strigopoidea, endemic to New Zealand. It has finely blotched yellow-green plumage, a distinct facial disc, a large grey beak, short legs, large feet, and relatively short wings and tail. A combination of traits make it unique among its kind; it is the world's only flightless parrot, the heaviest parrot, nocturnal, herbivorous, visibly sexually dimorphic in body size, has a low basal metabolic rate and no male parental care, and is the only parrot to"
"Kaiju Kaiju originally referred to monsters and creatures from ancient Japanese legends. The word ""Kaiju"" first appears in ""Classic of Mountains and Seas"". After ""Sakoku"", opening Japan to foreign relations, Japanese came to use the term kaiju to express concepts from paleontology and legendary creatures from around the world. For example, in 1908, during the Meiji period, it was suggested that the extinct ""Ceratosaurus"" was alive in Alaska, referred to as kaiju. However, there are no traditional depictions of kaiju or kaiju-like creatures in Japanese folklore but rather the origins of kaiju are found in film. The title of the"
"and snails to lizards and small fish.Their food supply is influenced by seasonality, eating larger prey when there is more food availability, such as in wetter seasons. In drier seasons, Kagus will eat smaller prey such as larvae. In wetter seasons, when food is more available, they will spend less of they day foraging and carry out other activities, such as preening. Kagu pairs nest in large permanent territories. Outside of breeding the male and the female will live separately withing their shared territory. There is no well-defined breeding season, however, pairs tend to have more breeding attempts during wetter"
"It is a science fiction and fantasy giant creature that often takes the role of either antagonist, protagonist, or force of nature. Godzilla is an example of a kaiju; others include Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla, King Kong, Gamera, Gyaos, Daimajin, , Guilala and Yonggary. The term ""ultra-kaiju"" is longhand for kaiju in the Ultra Series. roughly translates as ""large strange beast"" and refers to the larger monsters. The literal translation is about a size difference between a kaiju and a daikaiju, with the implication that the daikaiju is the greater of the two types. The exact definition of what"
"Introduced domestic animals, such as cats and dogs are a major threat to the Kagus. They roam free around the island and eat adults, juveniles and eggs. Other human activity, such as logging and hunting has further fragmented their habitat. These birds tend to avoid human settlements; areas with increased human activity tend to have lower numbers. Maintenance of genetic diversity of the Kagus is therefore threatened as further fragmentation is further isolating patches and may decrease migration between the patches. Oiseaux Bird Life International Handbook of the Birds of the World Avibase IUCN Red List Rhynochetos Rhynochetos is a"
"the kiwi (""Apteryx"" spp). Kahu kiwi were regarded as the most prestigious form of kahu huruhuru. Other kahu huruhuru incorporated the green and white feathers of the kererū (New Zealand pigeon: ""Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae"") and blue feathers from the tūī (""Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae""). A particularly rare type of cloak is the kahu kurī, made from strips of dog skin with hair attached taken from the now extinct kurī (Māori dog). The main body of the cloak is made up of strips of white-haired dog skin of various lengths, which are sewn onto the kaupapa (main body) of the cloak with fine bone"
"of modern birds"", the group is distantly related to the Phaethontiformes. When seen as a gruiform, the kagu is generally considered related to the extinct adzebills from New Zealand and the sunbittern from Central and South America. Recent studies do indicate that the sunbittern is the closest living relative of the kagu. For example, Fain & Houde found these to be certainly sister taxa and Furo ""et al."" indicated a close phylogenetic relationship them by cytotaxonomy, they suggest that their common ancestor was separated by the Gondwana vicariance in South America and New Caledonia, respectively. They and the mesites did"
"rocks. Sometimes kagus will hunt small animals in shallow water. Their hunting technique is to stand motionless on the ground or from an elevated perch, and silently watch for moving prey. They may stand on one foot and gently move the leaf litter with the other foot in order to flush prey. Having located prey they will move towards the prey and stand over it, ready to strike, or make a dash towards the prey from their watching location. If digging is required to obtain the prey this is done with the bill, the feet are not used to dig"
"""New Zealand Earth's Mythical Islands"". Kakapo The kakapo (Māori: kākāpō) or ""night parrot"", also called owl parrot (""Strigops habroptilus""), is a species of large, flightless, nocturnal, ground-dwelling parrot of the super-family Strigopoidea, endemic to New Zealand. It has finely blotched yellow-green plumage, a distinct facial disc, a large grey beak, short legs, large feet, and relatively short wings and tail. A combination of traits make it unique among its kind; it is the world's only flightless parrot, the heaviest parrot, nocturnal, herbivorous, visibly sexually dimorphic in body size, has a low basal metabolic rate and no male parental care, and"
"Lowland kagu The lowland kagu (""Rhynochetos orarius"") is a large, extinct species of kagu. It was endemic to the island of New Caledonia in Melanesia in the south-west Pacific region. It was described from subfossil bones found at the Pindai Caves paleontological site on the west coast of Grande Terre. The holotype is a right tibiotarsus (NCP 700), held by the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris. The specific epithet comes from the Latin ""orarius"" (of the coast) from its presumed lowland distribution, as opposed to its congener the living kagu ""R. jubatus"". The general proportions of the various bones"
"gruiform, the kagu is generally considered related to the extinct adzebills from New Zealand and the sunbittern from Central and South America. Recent studies do indicate that the sunbittern is the closest living relative of the kagu. For example, Fain & Houde found these to be certainly sister taxa. They and the mesites did not group with traditional Gruiformes in their study, but instead with their proposed clade Metaves, which also includes the hoatzin, pigeons, Caprimulgiformes, flamingos, tropicbirds, Apodiformes, sandgrouse and grebes. The internal structure of this group was not well resolvable by their data, although later studies confirmed a"
"kagu (""Rhynochetos jubatus""). Molecular studies seem to confirm that the kagu and sunbittern are each other's closest living relatives and have a similar wing display. They are probably not Gruiformes (though the proposed Metaves are just as weakly supported). Altogether, the two species seem to form a minor Gondwanan lineage which could also include the extinct adzebills and/or the mesites, and is of unclear relation to the Gruiformes proper. Notably, the kagu and mesites also have powder down. The sunbittern was formerly treated as two species (""E. helias"" and ""E. major""), but now they are treated as a single species"
"lesser numbers. They tend to avoid shallow shrublands and savannah-grassland habitats. Typically, they require a dense canopy layer as well as a thick litter layer in which they forage for food. The distribution of Kagus over the island is very fragmented due to a very patchy forest cover. The forests lie of ultrabasic rocks, which tend to have less extensive forest cover. On these rocks, forests are restricted to higher altitudes and along water systems. Dry season fires also contribute to decreasing forest cover and thus further fragmentation of Kagu populations. Kagus have distinct sex-specific songs which they sing in"
"that do not fit the classic bird or ""yamabushi"" image are sometimes called ""tengu"". For example, ""tengu"" in the guise of wood-spirits may be called , but this word can also refer to ""tengu"" with canine mouths or other features. The people of Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku believe in a creature called , but this is a small childlike being who loves ""sumō"" wrestling and sometimes dwells in the water, and is generally considered one of the many kinds of ""kappa"". Another water-dwelling ""tengu"" is the of the Greater Tokyo Area. This creature is rarely seen, but it is believed"
"The ""tengu"" of Japanese folklore was derived from the tiangou. The ""tengu"" is usually depicted as a bird, or man with a long nose and other bird-like characteristics, while the ""tiangou"" is a dog. Tiangou The tiangou () is a legendary creature from China. The ""tiangou"" resembles a black dog or meteor, which is thought to eat the sun or moon during an eclipse. Tales explain that you must beat dogs and drive them away in order to ward off the ""tiangou"". The heavenly dog would then spit out the sun or moon and flee back into the heavens, ending"
"Kenku Kenku ( are a fictional race of bird-like, humanoid creatures in the ""Dungeons & Dragons"" fantasy roleplaying game. They have appeared in multiple editions in the game's history and became an official playable race in ""Volo's Guide to Monsters"". They are loosely based on tengu, spiritual beings in Japanese mythology, and are most recognizable for their lack of a voice; instead of speaking themselves, they use their gift of mimicry to communicate. Jeremy Crawford, lead rules designer of the ""Dungeons & Dragons"" game, says ""[they] can cleverly piece together voices and sounds they've heard to communicate."" The kenku originally"
"Lagahoo In the folklore of Trinidad and Tobago the Lagahoo, Ligahoo or Lugarhou is a mythical shapeshifting monster. It is cousin to the French ""loup-garou"" and the Germanic ""werewolf"", yet not restricted to the form of a wolf. It seems like a normal human by day, but this creature takes on the form of a man with no head, who roams the night with a wooden coffin on its neck. On top of the coffin are three lighted candles and the long loose end of a heavy iron chain, noosed around its waist, trails behind him. Often, it is seen"
"woodlands of the regions. The rougarou most often is described as a creature with a human body and the head of a wolf or dog, similar to the werewolf legend. Often the story-telling has been used to inspire fear and obedience. One such example is stories that have been told by elders to persuade Cajun children to behave. According to another variation, the wolf-like beast will hunt down and kill Catholics who do not follow the rules of Lent. This coincides with the French Catholic loup-garou stories, according to which the method for turning into a werewolf is to break"
"the bear ""kamui"" in their language, which translates to mean god. While many other animals are considered to be gods in the Ainu culture, the bear is the head of the gods (Kindaichi, 1949, p. 345). For the Ainu, when the gods visit the world of man, they don fur and claws and take on the physical appearance of an animal. Usually, however, when the term ""kamui"" is used, it essentially means a bear (Kindaichi, 1949, p. 345). The Ainu people willingly and thankfully ate the bear as they believed that the disguise (the flesh and fur) of any god"
"of the lowland kagu are very similar to those of the kagu. They differ in the greater size of the extinct species in averaging about 15% larger, with no overlap between the hindlimb elements and only rare overlap between those of the wings. The describers postulate that ""R. orarius"" and ""R. jubatus"" were lowland and highland forms, respectively. Lowland kagu The lowland kagu (""Rhynochetos orarius"") is a large, extinct species of kagu. It was endemic to the island of New Caledonia in Melanesia in the south-west Pacific region. It was described from subfossil bones found at the Pindai Caves paleontological"
"Recently mentioned in ""The Jumbies"" by Tracey Baptiste Lagahoo In the folklore of Trinidad and Tobago the Lagahoo, Ligahoo or Lugarhou is a mythical shapeshifting monster. It is cousin to the French ""loup-garou"" and the Germanic ""werewolf"", yet not restricted to the form of a wolf. It seems like a normal human by day, but this creature takes on the form of a man with no head, who roams the night with a wooden coffin on its neck. On top of the coffin are three lighted candles and the long loose end of a heavy iron chain, noosed around its"
"after fledging, sometimes up to six years. These chicks do not help in incubating the eggs or raising the chicks, but nevertheless improve the breeding success of the parents. The older offspring do apparently help in territory defence, responding to playback of rivals and also participating in territorial fights, and it has been suggested that this should be treated as a form of cooperative breeding. The kagu's initial decline was caused by subsistence hunting. The bird was trapped extensively for the European pet trade and for museums and zoos until it was afforded protection. It is threatened by introduced cats,"
"1,250 metres. The hydrography and the nature of the terrain lead to the presence of several waterfalls, water holes, and giant's kettle in the Blue River valley. The park includes two biomes typical of New Caledonia: maquis shrubland overlying peridotite rock and tropical rainforest. There is a very high rate of biodiversity of New Caledonia. In particular, the park is known for being one of the last areas where the kagu, an endangered bird which has become a symbol of the country, can be seen in its natural habitat, with a population of about 700; this is the largest single"
"Kudu The kudus are two species of antelope of the genus ""Tragelaphus"": The name of the animal was imported into English in the 18th century from isiXhosa ""iqhude"", via Afrikaans ""koedoe"" part zebra part deer. Kudu, or koodoo, is the Khoikhoi name for this antelope. ""Tragos"" (Greek) denotes a he-goat and ""elaphos"" (Greek) a deer. ""Strepho"" (Greek) means ""twist"", and ""strephis"" is ""twisting"". ""Keras"" (Greek) refers to the horn of the animal. Lesser kudus come from the savanna near ""Acacia"" and ""Commiphora"" shrubs. They have to rely on thickets for protection, so they are rarely seen in the open. Their"
"Colugo Colugos () are arboreal gliding mammals found in Southeast Asia. Just two extant species make up the entire family Cynocephalidae () and order Dermoptera. They are the most capable gliders of all gliding mammals, using flaps of extra skin between their legs to glide from higher to lower locations. They are also known as cobegos or flying lemurs, although they are not true lemurs but are named due to their resemblance. Colugos are tree-dwelling mammals. They reach lengths of and weigh . They have long, slender front and rear limbs, a medium-length tail, and a relatively light build. The"