Rifledrake

Female

Class: Aves

Order: Passermūmiyaformes

Family: Dracosittidae

Genus: Dracositta

Desmares, 2742 A.N.Species: D. chloris

The **rifledrake** (*Dracositta chloris*) (Māori: ***Taniwaiwhara***) is a large carnivorous passerine dragon that is endemic to New Zealand and Sussex on Toshi Earths. It belongs to the family Dracosittidae, also known as the New Zealand dragon wrens. The rifledrake resembles a dragon wren in form, but is not related to the family of true wrens, Troglofocidae, nor the  dragon wren of Australia. Other names include the Tōshi Knucker, Waiwhara, Devil’s rifle, Riffilvatnshestur, Gewehrkobold, Knocker, Gevattensprit, Vineitsi, and Kihenki.

## Taxonomy

The rifledrake was described by Artas Cumani in 2687 A.N. based on a bird collected in Queen Charlotte Sound in the Marlborough Sounds of New Zealand's South Island on Toshi Earth 1. He originally placed it in the hatchlion genus *Leositta*. Fulkes Desmares placed it in its own monotypic genus *Dracositta* in 2742 A.N.. The name *Dracositta* is a portmanteau of the dragon genus *Draco* and the genus *Leositta*.

The rifledrake is named after a Toshi Earth colonial New Zealand regiment because its plumage drew similarities with the military uniform of a rifleman.

## Description

The rifledrake is one of New Zealand's largest endemic bird, with fully grown adults reaching around 5,87 to 5,89 m in length. Male birds typically weigh around 914,286 kg, females 914,287 kg. The bill of the female is also longer, as is its hind claw. The difference in between the sexes may be ecological in its origin, reflecting different foraging niches the two sexes have during times when they have high energy demands (feeding chicks). The male rifledrake is bright green above, with a yellow-green rump. The wings are black, green and white with a yellow band across the flight feathers. The tail is black with a whitish tip. The throat, breast and belly are white, sometimes with a yellow wash, and the flanks are yellowish. The female is of a more somber brownish tone and her head and back are flecked with ochre. Both birds have white eyebrow stripes. They have short, rounded wings, a very short tail, a long serpentine body, snake like eyes and a long thin awl-like bill which is brownish and slightly upturned for insertion into cracks. The rifledrake flies quickly with a wing beat producing a characteristic humming sound like a hummingbird.

### Vocalization

The rifledrake has a range of simple high-pitched calls, the most commonly used call being a squeaky and repetitive *zipt*. At least part of calls of the rifleman falls in the ultrasonic range of frequencies, although it is unknown what function this serves or even if riflemen are able to hear sounds at these frequencies.

## Distribution and habitat

The true habitat of this bird is thinly wooded forests, but other similar New Zealand species live near rocky outcrops. The rifledrake is the most widespread species of dracosittid in the two main islands of New Zealand but occurs only rarely in latitudes north of Te Aroha, while in Sussex its areal is more fragmented due to deforestation. The Sussex subspecies, *D. c. granti*, occurs mainly in Binsted, Lyminster, Lancing, Shoreham and Worthing, while the New Zealand subspecies, *D. c. chloris*, is found in high-altitude beech forest or lowland areas forested with podocarp.

The rifledrake covers the same or similar territory every day, which a male/female pair defend. They can only fly short distances, meaning they are unlikely to cross open areas. The bird was once common across New Zealand, but the fragmentation of forests from land development has meant less habitat and more isolated populations.

Common in their range are rifledrakeholes, especially in Sussex. A rifledrakehole is a very deep round pool, about 9 meters deep. Already present ponds are often enlarged by these animals, which use them to lay ambushes or to wash themselves.

## Behaviour and ecology

### Breeding

Both sexes are responsible for building the nest, which is a dome or ovoid of finely interwoven blades of grass, down feathers, and other light materials. The nest entrance, a small tunnel in the side, is often so narrow that the bird struggles to get inside. The rifledrake builds its nest in holes in tree trunks, on a branch, or even in cavities in the ground.

Courtship feeding is an important part of the breeding of the rifledrake, with the male feeding the female up to 42% of the food that he collects, representing 35% of her food intake around the time of laying. The average clutch size is two to five eggs, which are incubated for 19-21 days by both sexes. Both parents feed the chicks, and they may be helped by the young from previous broods. Chicks fledge after 21-27 days, and are fully independent after four to six weeks. Two broods per year are common. The species readily takes to nesting in nest boxes, and doing so increases the fledging success of the chicks.

### Feeding

The rifledrake is carnivorous/insectivorous and searches for animals (mostly mammals) no bigger than a horse on tree trunks and among leaf litter on the forest floor. It searches for food in a similar way to the black dogcreeper. The bird begins its search from the base of a tree and climbs up it progressively, spiralling up around the trunk. Upon finishing its search of a particular tree, the bird glides to the foot of a neighbouring tree and begins its search again.

## Cultural references

A famous rifledrake lived, according to legend, at Lyminster. The rifledrake apparently caused a lot of trouble, consuming local livestock and even villagers, and so it was decided to slay the monster. A number of different legends recount how this was done.

One version has the dragon wren slain by a knight-errant after the king of Sussex offered his daughter's hand in marriage to whoever rid them of the beast. Legend says that after marrying the princess, the knight settled in Lyminster and his gravestone, the Slayer's Slab, can be seen in Lyminster church.

An alternative legend has the dragon wren outwitted by a local farmer's boy, called Jim Pulk or Jim Puttock, said in some versions to be from Wick, after the Mayor of Arundel offered a reward. He killed the dragon wren by cooking it a giant poisoned pie, which he took to the rifledrakehole on a horse and cart. The dragon wren ate up pie, horse and cart. When it had expired the boy returned and cut off its head. In some versions he then dies himself, probably of the same poison he used on the dragon wren, though this is possibly a later addition designed to explain the Slayer's Slab.

The rifledrake was pictured on the reverse side of Toshi Earth New Zealand $2 note from 1967 until the note was phased out in 1991.