Great gobbler (SciiFii)

The great gobbler (Diablornis milleneri) is a species of ratite, and the only living member of the group, Diablornithiformes, that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the temperate rainforests, wetlands, forests, and open woodlands across South Island, New Zealand to help boost biodiversity. The great gobbler is a large, flightless bird with a heavy hooked beak and long sharp claws. Its legs are long and powerful whilst its wings are reduced to a few tiny bones in its body. Despite its sleek appearance and powerful limbs, the great gobbler is a rather slow runner. Uniquely among ratites, the great gobbler is an entirely carnivorous predator, preying mainly on animals smaller than itself. Its powerful beak allows it to crunch bone and has a very wide gape enabling it to swallow many corpses whole. These birds are known to beachcomb for carrion as well as driving smaller predators away from their kills. Great gobblers are sometimes witnessed raiding seabird colonies, although it is very uncommon to prevent seabird colony collapses. With their eyes closed, they can be seemingly immune to the furious pecks of the parent seabirds as they casually go about consuming eggs, nestlings and overprotective parents by the mouthful. The great gobblers have been witnessed actively hunting on only occasions more often than not to any humans in their territories. In these cases the large size and clumsy movements of the bird give its position away and it usually gives up the hunt after a relatively short but frantic chase. The conservation status of the great gobbler is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii