Kagu Kagu The kagu or cagou ("Rhynochetos jubatus") is a crested, long-legged, and bluish-grey bird endemic to the dense mountain forests of New Caledonia. It is the only surviving member of the genus Rhynochetos and the family Rhynochetidae, although a second species has been described from the fossil record. Measuring in length, it has pale grey plumage and bright red legs. Its 'nasal corns' are a unique feature not shared with any other bird. Almost flightless, it spends its time on or near the ground, where it hunts its invertebrate prey, and builds a nest of sticks on the forest floor.
Kagu areas where soil levels of heavy metals were low laid more eggs and had higher numbers of fledglings, as well as having smaller home-ranges and higher body mass, than Kagu in areas where the soil was heavy-metal rich. It has therefor been suggested that Kagu conservation is likely to be more effective in areas where heavy-metal levels in the soil are low. The kagu had an important role in the traditional lives of the Kanak tribes of New Caledonia. Among the tribes found in the vicinity of Hienghène in the north of Grande Terre, its name was given to people,