Some like it odd: Long-term research reveals unusual behaviour in the flightless Kagu of New Caledonia

The observation of rare behaviours can provide unexpected insights into the biology of a species. Here, we report new observations of unusual or rare behaviours by the KaguRhynochetos jubatusof New Caledonia, a flightless bird already known for many curious traits. We observed the broken-wing display, adoption of a chick by a neighbouring family and flexibility in the selection of cooperative breeding partners in response to disruption in their social organisation. Although infrequent, these observations demonstrate the highly developed social flexibility that enables Kagu to counter heavy population losses caused by predation. We think that rare behaviours could often be overlooked in species because restricted research objectives might not allow their discovery.

Automated summary

Observations of rare behaviors in the flightless bird Kagu of New Caledonia revealed a high level of social flexibility, including the broken-wing display, adoption of chicks by neighboring families, and flexibility in selecting cooperative breeding partners. Despite being infrequent, these behaviors demonstrate the species' ability to counter population losses and may be overlooked due to restricted research objectives.