North Island stout-legged wren facts for kids

The North Island stout-legged wren (also called Grant-Mackie's wren) was a small bird that lived only in New Zealand. Its scientific name is Pachyplichas jagmi. This bird is now extinct, meaning it no longer exists anywhere in the world. It belonged to a special group of wrens found only in New Zealand.

Discovering the Stout-Legged Wren

Scientists learned about the North Island stout-legged wren from a fossil bone. This special first fossil is called a holotype. It was a right tarsometatarsus, which is a leg bone from the bird's lower leg.

This important bone was found on August 25, 1978. It was discovered in the Ruakuri Cave in the Waitomo District on the North Island of New Zealand. Today, this fossil is kept in the collections of the Auckland University Geology Department.

The wren was named jagmi to honor Dr. John Grant-Mackie. He was a geology professor at Auckland University. He helped many students and contributed a lot to the study of ancient birds, known as palaeontology.

What the Wren Looked Like

The North Island stout-legged wren was similar to another wren, the South Island stout-legged wren. However, the North Island wren was a bit smaller. These two wrens are considered a "species pair" because they are very closely related.

Scientists believe this wren spent most of its time on the ground. Its wings were quite small, and its legs were very strong and thick. These features suggest that the bird was either flightless or could barely fly. It was well-suited for moving around on land.