The flightless Kagu lives in the humid forests of New Caledonia's Grande Terre. During the day it searches leaf litter and soil for small live prey.
Its plumage is pale bluish gray, with an erect crest. The bill and legs are orange to red; the eye is black with a red iris. Four broad dark-brown bars on the wings are visible when the bird spreads them.
Kagus live on New Caledonia’s forest floor. Large wings aid balance on rough ground; parents also spread and flap them to distract predators from chicks.
Riviere Bleue Provincial Park manages introduced dogs, cats and feral pigs alongside habitat. Their direct predation and indirect resource effects create different pressures.
Park records describe growth from about 60 birds in 1984 to an estimated thousand-plus in 2019. Continued counts follow abundance and distribution within that protected population.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Introduced predators and environmental impacts from feral animals are concerns. Riviere Bleue combines their management with habitat protection and continued kagu monitoring.