Pukeko on the wing

Pukeko are rather ungainly fliers and prefer to run from trouble if they can, but this one is flying over water! At the ponds in summer it's sometimes very shallow so they often do run across, which looks as if they are walking on water.

Birds with attitude, they have survived people and are not endangered. Although protected they can be shot in the hunting season - rather a contradiction! And they are inedible so there's no excuse for hunting them.