Black stilt/kakī, world's rarest wading bird
Kakī, or black stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae), is a native wading bird only found in New Zealand. It is regarded by Māori as a taonga species – a living treasure.
Once common throughout New Zealand, kakī is now restricted to the braided rivers and wetlands of the Mackenzie Basin, South Island.
Kakī have completely black plumage and long red legs.
The main threats to kakī are predators, habitat loss and human disturbance.
Kakī have been intensively managed since 1981, when their population declined to a low of just 23 birds.
Learn what to do when visiting black stilt habitat.
The kakī/black stilt visitor hide is a great place to see one of New Zealand’s rarest birds up close.
The kakī is one of the world’s rarest wading birds. In the 1980s, their numbers plummeted to 23 adult birds. However, the captive management programme at Twizel is making a real difference, as this video reveals.
View The Black Stilt documentary on NZ on Screen
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