Lyall's wren (SciiFii)

Lyall's wren or Stephens Island wren (Traversia lyalli) is a species of small flightless passerine belonging to the family Acanthisittidae, the New Zealand wrens. Lyall's wren was once extinct due to predation from invasive domestic cats since the very early 20th century, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and reintroduced to Stephens Island, New Zealand after the successful and complete eradication of feral cats on the island. Lyall's wren has olive-brown plumage with a yellow stripe through the eye. Its underside is grey in females and brownish-yellow in males and its body feathers are edged with brown. Most distinctively, Lyall's wren is flightless, with a reduced keel on its breastbone and short rounded wings. It is the best known of the four flightless passerines (songbirds) known to science, all of which are inhabitants of islands. Lyall's wren is largely nocturnal compared with most passerines, and is capable of running quickly on the ground, which often gets it compared to a mouse in terms of its agility. Lyall's wrens mostly eat invertebrates on the ground, but will sometimes take berries and seeds, and even nectar from flax flowers. Its call is three high-pitched notes, and pairs sometimes duet. Pairs maintain a year-round territory, and work together to build a large enclosed nest with an entrance tunnel. The nest is lined with feathers, often from other species of birds. Around three eggs are laid in late spring and incubated for three weeks. Chicks take about 24 days to fledge and are fed for at least 4 weeks. The conservation status of Lyall's wren is Vulnerable due to some habitat loss and, historically, invasive predators, however, thanks to the conservationists, Lyall's wren is a protected species.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii