Weka are one of New Zealand's many flightless birds. However, compared to some of the other flightless birds here, it's hard for them to be noticed. Other flightless birds include kakapo, takahe, penguin, moa and kiwi birds. The most celebrated is the kiwi bird, which is a national icon for New Zealand. People from New Zealand are even often referred to as kiwis because of the kiwi bird. With competition like that, it's hard for wekas to be recognized! Read on to find more about this adorable, flightless bird and my experience meeting one.
Weka are chicken-sized birds with brown and black feathers. They keep their wings tight to their side as they walk, and their legs are almost dinosaur-like! In the sunlight, their eyes are bright red, and they move pretty quickly.
I was super excited when I saw the weka, but at first, I had mistakenly identified it as a kiwi! I didn't realize I had been wrong about it until I saw a sign later that had pictures of the birds most commonly found at the park. I felt bad finding out that the weka is commonly mistaken for the kiwi, so I felt I needed to share my discovery and give them the spotlight!
