A living ark
Karori Sanctuary > Conservation & research > Wildlife at Karori Sanctuary > Weka at Karori Sanctuary
North Island weka
Common name: weka
Maori name: weka
Scientific name: Gallirallus australis greyi
Status: endemic, threatened
North Island weka. Photo by Tom Lynch, Karori Sanctuary.
A flightless rail; nationally endangered
Size of a small hen and rich brown in colour
Virtually disappeared from the North Island in the 1920s
First released at Karori Sanctuary in 2000, nine released in total
Shy, especially compared to South Island weka
Sometimes seen near the toilet block near the weka fence on Lake Road and at the lower lake wetland.
More weka information
North Island weka factsheet (25kb, pdf)
Link to DOCs website
Back to wildlife released
