Weka: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the weka lives – recorded in 1 country, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Gallirallus australis
Group	Herons, storks, cranes & flamingos
Status	Vulnerable (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	1 country
Continents	Oceania
Class	Bird
Order	Gruiformes
Family	Rallidae

Where does the weka live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the weka in 1 country or territory across Oceania. Wikidata lists it as endemic to New Zealand.

New Zealand

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the weka endangered?

The weka’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Vulnerable” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the weka?

The weka (Gallirallus australis) is a bird in the order Gruiformes and the family Rallidae, genus Gallirallus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the weka

The weka, also known as the Māori hen or woodhen (Gallirallus australis) is a flightless bird species of the rail family. It is endemic to New Zealand. Some authorities consider it as the only extant member of the genus Gallirallus. Four subspecies are recognized but only two (northern/southern) are supported by genetic evidence.

The weka are sturdy brown birds about the size of a chicken. As omnivores, they feed mainly on invertebrates and fruit. Weka usually lay eggs between August and January; both sexes help to incubate.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Weka (revision 1374578439), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q756714 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).