takahe

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Flightless bird Porphyrio mantelli of the rail family, order Gruiformes, native to New Zealand. It is about 60 cm/2 ft tall and weighs just over 2 kg/4.4 lb, with blue and green plumage and a red bill. The takahe was thought to have become extinct at the end of the 19th century, but in 1948 small numbers were rediscovered in the tussock grass of a mountain valley on South Island.

White stands for purity. Red represents communist revolution. Blue expresses the desire for peace. Effective date: 8 September 1948. >>