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Story: Large forest birds

Kōkako on a branch

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Kōkako on a branch

Kōkako don’t fly much – instead they run on long legs and make gliding hops. They need multi-tiered, diverse forest with horizontal branches that provide a staircase from one level to the next, so they can search for food – insects and grubs, fruit, nectar and leaf buds.

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Department of Conservation

Reference: 10031416

by Dick Veitch

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How to cite this page

Gerard Hutching, Large forest birds – Kōkako, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/10589/kokako-on-a-branch (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Gerard Hutching, published 1 March 2009, updated 1 August 2023.