Meet the Tokoeka (at the same time as me, lol)OMG - the tokoeka is a Kiwi! How delightful! I really enjoy being a bit surprised by the subject of my design each day, so I research as I go. You can't write about kiwi and not include this viral video. Sources and resourcesTokoeka – literally meaning 'weka with a walking stick' (Ngāi Tahu) - has three geographically and genetically distinct forms: Haast Fiordland, and Rakiura (Stewart Island). Haast tokoeka A shy, mountain-loving bird, the Haast tokoeka is one of our rarest kiwi. More than half the known population lives in an actively managed area of the Haast ranges, where the battle continues to save these birds from extinction. Source: DOC The reclusiveness of Haast tokoeka makes it difficult to work with but so does the inhospitable environment in which it makes a home - the steep terrain and frequently cold, bad weather of the mountainous South Westland is not for everyone. Most of the area in which Haast tokoeka are found is covered by the Haast Kiwi Sanctuary, where they are actively managed in situ and through Operation Nest Egg and a 12,000 ha stoat trapping programme. Haast tokoeka are the first-equal endangered kiwi. Stoats are the main cause of death for many chicks. Source: DOC Two subspecies are formally recognised: Fiordland tokoeka A. a. australis (Threatened/Nationally Vulnerable), and Stewart Island tokoeka A. a. lawryi (Threatened/Nationally Vulnerable). A third geographical form, Haast tokoeka A. a. ‘Haast’ (Threatened/Nationally Critical), from the Haast Range and Arawhata Valley, is recognised as being distinct for management purposes, based on morphological and genetic differentiation from Fiordland tokoeka. Source: NZ birds online Controversy...?So, DOC says that there are three sub-species, and NZ birds online says that there are only two, with the Haast tokoeka being only an administrative classification... Wikipedia also recognises that there are two species, with the Hast population as genetically distinct. The southern brown kiwi is divided into two subspecies: A. a. australis, , with a population of approximately 7,000 birds is found on the South Island of New Zealand. A disjunct population, near Haast, called the Haast brown kiwi (not to be confused with Apteryx haastii), is rare (with only about 250 specimens left) and is characterised by its rufous plumage. Source: Wikipedia Getting familiar with our national birdRight, so in summary, there are 5 species of kiwi.
And, ok, yeah, it looks pretty understandable that people looking for a kiwi (genus Apteryx) commonly known as the "Haast tokoeka" might think that the Apteryx haastii might be the right bird, especialiiy as it is found on the West Coast of the South Island, although it's in the northern parts, rather than down south near Haast - the plot thickens! Oh, no it doesn't. It's just one of those weird coincidences: In 1871, two specimens [of the great spotted kiwi] were brought to the Canterbury Museum, where they were identified as a new species and were named after the museum's curator, Dr. Haast. Source: Wikipedia What do they sound like?This video includes a slightly awkward commentary, but it also includes a kiwi calling, so it's pretty cool. So, ok, let's draw this birbDrawing the tokoekaI have drawn kiwi plenty of times before, but never with as much attention to the anatomy of the bird. Kiwi have such a recognisable shape that there's not much need for accuracy in order to convey that your drawing is a kiwi. This time around, I'm drawing "for realz", so it's time to really look at the anatomy of the kiwi. And now, we start the sketches. First, I blocked out a few poses using a simplified skeleton, then I fleshed them out as outlines. Weird, weird feathersThe outlines didn't take long, but the feathers... The feathers took forever. You can still see the turquoise outlines under the final black lines, here. And those feathers were a PAIN to colour - but they are done!
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