Du

Size: 1.2–1.6 m (3.9–5.2 ft) tall, and weighing around 40 kg (88 lb) on average. In the 2016 study, its height in resting stance was estimated up to 0.8 m (2.6 ft), while its mass estimate decreased to 27–34 kg (60–75 lb).

Lifespan: 5 to 25+ years

Type:

Reptiles (Archosaurs)
Birds (Sylviornithidae)

Title:

New Caledonian Fowl
Mysterious Fowl
Unique Fowl

Other Name(s)/Alias(es):

Du (by Kanak)
Dou (in French)

Pantheon:

Terran/Gaian
- New Caledonian (Kanak)

Time Period: Paleocene-Holocene (1120-840 BCE-present day)

Alignment: Curious

Threat Level: ★★★★★★

Diet: Herbivorous 🌿🌱🍇

Elements: Normal, combat

Inflicts: n/a

Weaknesses: Fire, earth, fae, air

Casualties: none

Based On: itself

Conservation Status: Extinct (EX) – IUCN Red List

Sylviornis neocaledoniae, also known by its native name of Du by Kanak people, is an extinct species and genus of large, flightless bird that was endemic to the islands of New Caledonia, a territory from France in Western Pacific Ocean.

Etymology

This species' name, Du, was thought to be an onomatopoeia by the Kanak people of New Caledonia because of the likely booming honking sound made by females during courtship.

Physical Appearance

It is the largest galliform that has ever been observed. Its huge head was topped by a bony protrusion and featured a high, laterally compressed beak. Despite having relatively short legs, it had robust toes and long nails. Sylviornis' skeleton stands out from all other known birds due to a variety of anomalies and differences, including the clavicles' absence of a furcula, the large number of caudal vertebrae, and the almost dinosaur-like appearance of the ribcage and pelvis. Small stubs remained of the wings.

Abilities

When confronted with unfamiliar species, Sylviornis react violently, pecking at these objects, such as boats and pearls, with their enormous beaks.

Ecology

Thus, it has been theorized that Sylviornis had a clutch of at least two, more probably closer to 10 eggs, and that the average lifespan was not much more than 5–7 years, which would be extremely low for such a large bird. It was thought that the bird did not incubate its eggs but built a mound similar to the megapodes. Tumuli on the Île des Pins which were initially believed to be graves were found to contain no human remains or grave goods, and it has been hypothesized that they were in reality the incubation mounds of Sylviornis.

Little can be said about the lifestyle of Sylviornis. It was probably a slow-moving browser, and the structure of the bill and feet suggest that roots and tubers it dug up formed a major part of its diet. The legacy of Sylviornis may persist in Kanak oral history.

Behavior

Sylviornis have been known to assault or try to dominate those they see as inferiors; this behavior is most frequently seen in New Caledonia during the breeding season. In addition, they could react violently, pecking at shiny items such as cars or partitions, thinking that a bird is encroaching on their reflection.

Distribution and Habitat

Along with Megavitiornis from Fiji, it is thought to make up one of the two genera of the extinct family Sylviornithidae, a suborder of the Galliformes, which includes birds like chickens, turkeys, quail, and pheasants. Scientists have never seen Sylviornis alive, but they are aware of it thanks to the many thousands of subfossil bones that Kanak Austronesians discovered in New Caledonia and the nearby Île des Pins in deposits, some of which date back to the Holocene.

Movement Pattern: Not a Migrant
Individual Type: Nomadic
Population Trend: Stable
Population: 0
Locomotion: Terrestrial
Habitat: Polar; tundra; taiga; montane grasslands and shrublands; temperate coniferous forests; temperate broadleaf and mixed forests; temperate deciduous forests, temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands; subtropical coniferous forests; subtropical moist broadleaf forests; subtropical dry broadleaf forests; subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands; salt plains; limestone forest; tropical coniferous forests; tropical moist broadleaf forests; tropical dry broadleaf forests; tropical grasslands; tropical savannas and shrublands; Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub; mushroom forests; deserts and xeric shrublands; badlands; flooded grasslands and savannas; swamp; riparian; wetland; mangrove forest; bamboo forest; air-breathing coral reefs; graveyard vale; warm river; cold river; lukewarm river; subterranean river; pond; littoral; intertidal; kelp forests; coral reefs; neritic zone; pelagic zone; benthic zone; hydrothermal vents; brine pools; cold seeps; demersal zone; karst cave; karst spring; lush caverns; crystal cavern; magnetic cave; radiated vale; lava tube; volcano; lava trench; ghost town; ruined skyscraper; moon; outer space; crimson forest; warped forest; soul sand vale; basalt deltas; corruption grove; end plains; end islands
Earth:
- Extinct: New Caledonia
Berbania: none
Reinachos: none
Delphia: none
Sawintir: none
Agarathos: none

Tamed

Coming soon

Lore

The majority of Sylviornis fossils in New Caledonia are discovered in human environments. The Lapita ancestors of the Kanak people, who arrived in New Caledonia approximately 1500 BCE, probably hunted the bird to extinction. A bone from the Pinda Caves that has a carbon date between 1120 and 840 BCE is the most recent example of the species. Its eggs and hatchlings would be susceptible to introduced mammalian predators if native accounts are accurate.

Known Individuals

Coming soon