'Bit of a scrap': Takahē takes on tuatara

A takahē and a tuatara have been filmed engaging in a bush-floor stoush in a new video captured by a Department of Conservation ranger.

The video was filmed on pest-free Tiritiri Matangi Island, near Auckland.

It began with the bird seemingly attacking the reptile, ranger Nick Fisentzidis, who used his phone to record the encounter, said. 

"I saw them having a bit of a nip at each other; the takahē definitely had a go at the tail of the tuatara, and they had a bit of a scrap.

"I followed them down the hill, and the tuatara got a couple of bites in, so the takahē backed off and snuck back away up the forest."

Although historically both takahē and tuatara were widespread across New Zealand, they now only co-exist in two locations, Tiritiri Matangi in the Hauraki Gulf and Zealandia in Wellington.

"It's a neat snapshot of how these interactions may have gone in the past. It also shows what's possible in the future if we really start to rally together to bring more of our native wildlife back," Fisentzidis said.

Tuatara are the last survivors of an order of reptiles known as sphenodontia that thrived in the age of the dinosaurs 200 million years ago, but now only survive in places where invasive mammalian predators have been eradicated.

The endemic, flightless takahē are a taonga species to Ngāi Tahu. Historically thought to be extinct twice, there are now just over 500 throughout the country, with around half living at sanctuary sites and half in the wild.

Doc Takahē Recovery senior ranger Glen Greaves said takahē were often thought to be herbivorous (vegetarian), but in reality they were omnivorous.

"This means they'll eat almost anything. Although primarily grass feeders, they will often supplement their diet with insects, lizards and have even been spotted taking ducklings. Protein is obviously an important part of their diet.

"Like their cousins the pūkeko and weka, takahē can be quite predatory. Although taking on a tuatara hasn't been seen before that I'm aware of, it is not at all surprising. Just a bit bigger than their usual snack. It's good to see the tuatara stand up for itself."

Tiritiri Matangi Island is regarded as one of the most successful community-led conservation projects in the world, where rare native birds and reptiles thrive, Doc says.

The island is open to the public and just a 75-minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland.