Science Learning Hub logo
TopicsConceptsCitizen scienceTeacher PLDGlossary
Sign in
Image

Threats to takahē

Heard of red deer on Murchison Mountains.

New Zealand birds evolved in isolation from natural predators for around 65 million years. When human settlers arrived, changes came rapidly and birds were poorly adapted to withstand threats to their survival. Hunting, loss of habitat and the introduction of predators all had disastrous effects on the state of our native birds, whose numbers declined rapidly.

The Department of Conservation has led many initiatives to reverse this decline. Regardless of the natural population numbers before human arrival, it is clear that we’ve created a number of threats to the takahē’s continued existence.

Related Hub resources:

  • Threats to takahē – article

  • Takahē conservation efforts – article

  • Protecting native birds – article

  • Threats to biodiversity – activity

  • Population biology – article

Related ZEALANDIA resource:

  • Interrelationships in the Murchison Mountains community – worksheet exploring concepts of population modelling by supporting students to interpret trends in predator/prey and population graphs

Image: Red deer by Malgorzata Litkowska, 123RF Ltd

Glossary

Rights: Malgorzata Litkowska, 123RF Ltd
Published: 7 February 2019Size: 1.49 MB
Referencing Hub media

Explore related content

Appears inRelated resources
Image map interactive featuring takahē resources

Interactive

Planning pathways using takahē resources

This interactive groups Hub and ZEALANDIA resources into key science and teaching concepts that underpin takahē conservation. It makes use ...

Read more
1948 photo of 3 men with 2 rediscovered takahē, Lake Orbell.

Article

Takahē conservation efforts

Takahē once lived throughout Te Waipounamu South Island. Māori reported that their night cry sounded like the striking of two ...

Read more
Conserving native birds – introduction

Article

Conserving native birds – introduction

New Zealand is world famous for its unique birdlife. In our resources on conserving our native birds, we look at ...

Read more
Protecting native birds

Article

Protecting native birds

New Zealand birds evolved in isolation from natural predators for around 65 million years. When human settlers arrived, changes came ...

Read more

See our newsletters here.

NewsEventsAboutContact usPrivacyCopyrightHelp

The Science Learning Hub Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao is funded through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's Science in Society Initiative.

Science Learning Hub Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao © 2007-2025 The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato