Overview
The Tasmanian Nativehen (Tribonyx mortierii), affectionately dubbed the ‘Turbo Chook’ by Tasmanians, is a comical, fast-running flightless rail endemic to the island of Tasmania. Completely incapable of flight but capable of sprinting at highway speeds of up to 30 miles per hour across open farmland, this charismatic bird features blazing ruby-red eyes, a greenish-yellow bill, and a unique social breeding system based on cooperative family clans.
Biology and Physical Characteristics
Tribonyx mortierii has a stocky, heavy body covered in olive-brown plumage on its back and slate-grey on its breast, accented by a conspicuous white flank patch. Its wings are stunted and useless for flying, but its thick, muscular yellow-green legs and large feet are built for explosive sprinting. Its head features a distinctive bright greenish-yellow frontal shield and glowing scarlet irises.
Behavior and Ecology
A highly social and vocal grazer, the Nativehen lives in permanent territorial family groups that practice polyandry, where multiple related males mate with a single female and cooperatively build nests and defend chicks. They spend their days grazing closely cropped clover and grasses near water, communicating with loud, metallic rasping duets that sound like a rusty hand saw cutting wood.
Conservation and Human Impact
Assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, the Tasmanian Nativehen is exceptionally abundant across Tasmania, having benefited greatly from the clearing of forests into open sheep pastures. While mainland Australian populations were extirpated by the introduction of the dingo thousands of years ago, the absence of dingoes in Tasmania allowed the species to flourish.
Interesting Factoid
Tasmanians nickname the Tasmanian Nativehen the ‘Turbo Chook’ because, despite being completely flightless, this plump 3-pound bird can sprint across open fields at an astonishing 30 miles per hour.