Tinamoa

The **tinamoa** (*Pavotis procerulus*) is a species of small moa that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and intentionally introduced throughout New Zealand to help boost biodiversity. The tinamoa is one of the smallest extant moa species, with the females (which are slightly larger than the males) having a length of 105 to 135 centimeters (3 feet 5 inches to 4 feet 5 inches) and a wingspan of 230 to 275 centimeters (7 feet 7 inches to 9 feet 0 inches), about the size of a bustard. Despite this, the tinamoa is still able to fly, although it prefers to flee by running than flying. As such, tinamoas resemble the moa's volant ancestors. The tinamoa's loud, booming calls are often compared to the umbrellabird's vocalizations. The tinamoas do not compete with other moas or kiwemus as they are strictly herbivorous birds, with a bill and gut designed to process leaves, grass, seeds and other plant material. During the mating season, these birds are usually solitary but for the breeding pair. Otherwise, they are somewhat gregarious, being found in groups often including 5 to 6 birds but occasionally groups can number up to 40 individuals. Larger groups may be found around an abundant food source or at lakes/rivers. In groups, birds are often fairly far apart from each other, often around a distance of 100 meters (330 feet). Foraging groups are often single-sex. Such groups do not last long and often separate after a few days. These groups are believed advantageous both in that they may ensure safety in numbers against predation and may bring the tinamoas to prime food sources. Tinamoas engage in lek mating and have polygynous breeding habits, in which one male displays to attract several females, and mates with them all. Males display at regularly used sites, each male utilizing several dispersed leks or display areas. These displays usually take place in the mornings and evenings. The female makes no real nest. The female tinamoa lays her eggs on the ground in a shallow, unlined hollow, rather than the typical scrape. This nest is usually located within 4 meters (13 feet) of a tree or shrub, termite mound or an outcrop of rocks. The hollow may measure 300–450 mm (12–18 inches) in diameter and be almost completely covered by the female when she's incubating. Due to their ground location, nests are often cryptic and difficult for a human or many other mammalian sapient species/sophonts to find, unless stumbled onto by chance. The same site is sometimes reused in successive years. The tinamoa is a solitary nester and there is no evidence of territoriality amongst the females. Usually two eggs are laid, though seldom 1 or 3 may be laid. Clutch size is likely correlated to food supply. They are cryptically colored with the ground color being dark buff, brown or greenish-blue and well marked and blotched with shades of brown, grey and pale purple. Eggs are somewhat glossy or waxy and have a pitted-looking surface. Egg size is 81 to 86 mm (3.2 to 3.4 inches for) in height and 58 to 61 mm (2.3 to 2.4 inches) width. The eggs weigh individually about 149 grams (5.3 oz), with a range of 121 to 178 grams (4.3 to 6.3 oz). The female, who alone does all the brooding behavior without male help, stays at the nest 98% of the time, rarely eating. Occasionally she stretches her legs and raises her wings overhead. The female regularly turns the eggs with her bill. She occasionally picks up pieces of vegetation and drops them on her back to aid in her camouflage. If they need to feed briefly, the females go to and from the nest with a swift, silent crouching walk. If approached the incubating bird either slips unobtrusively from the nest or sits tight, only flying off at the last moment. The incubation period is 23 to 30 days, though is not known to exceed 25 days in wild specimens. The young are dark and very well camouflaged, with the crown being speckled black. The neck is red with irregular black stripes from behind the eye and from the base of the lower mandibles. When the chicks hatch, the mother brings them a steady stream of food, most of it soft so the chicks can eat it easily. Captive hatchlings weigh 78 to 116 grams (2.8 to 4.1 oz) on their first day but grow quickly. The precocial chicks are able to follow their mother around several hours after hatching. After a few weeks, the young actively forage closely with their mothers. They fledge at 4 to 5 weeks old, but are not self-assured fliers until 3 to 4 months. On average, around 67% of eggs successfully hatch (testimony to the effective camouflage of nests) and around one of the two young survive to adulthood. In South Island, New Zealand, breeding success has been found to be greatly reduced during the winter. Most young leave their mothers in their second year of life, but do not start breeding until they are fully mature at three to four years old in both sexes in studies conducted both of wild and captive tinamoas. The lifespan of wild tinamoas is not known but they may live to at least 28 or possibly 30 years old in captivity. The conservation status of the tinamoa is **Least Concern** due to successful conservation efforts and the tinamoa's wide range.