Du

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. It may be linked to the Kanak mythical creature as a giant flightless monstrous bird mentioned in traditional stories.

The du 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.

Sylviornis had small wings at all, but it was able to run. It could presumably stroll or trot steadily on the ground, but its mass probably prevented it from moving quickly. Since Sylviornis was exclusively terrestrial, its large, hefty body and diminished wings imply that it either avoided the water or was a bad swimmer. It's likely that Sylviornis was adept at scraping or digging for roots, fruits, and invertebrates. Sylviornis react angrily to strange animals, using their massive beaks to peck at objects like boats and pearls.

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.

Reproduction

Sylviornis was long thought to be a megapode, but research suggests:

• It did not build large incubation mounds like megapodes.

• Eggs were huge relative to its body.

• Likely laid a small clutch, maybe 1–2 eggs at a time.

• Slow reproductive rate made it vulnerable to predation and human pressure.

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.

At first, Sylviornis was probably shy around people, but if cornered, he might be aggressive. Strong legs and keen claws made this bird deadly during breeding season. Its attitude was similar to that of giant turkeys or cassowaries. Although they are not "friendly" by nature, they could put along with humans under control.

Main causes for this species:

• Human hunting: Slow-breeding, large, and easy to catch.

• Habitat modification: Early settlers used fire to clear vegetation.

• Introduction of mammals: Polynesian dogs were killed adults, and Polynesian rats and pigs probably consumed eggs

• Reproductive vulnerability: Few eggs + slow breeding = extinction within a few centuries.

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 people discovered in New Caledonia and the nearby Île des Pins in deposits, some of which date back to the Holocene.

In 1991, while visiting New Caledonia, cryptozoologist Lars Thomas discovered that "native accounts depict Sylviornis with precision and regard it as still present today."

• Movement Pattern: Not a Migrant

• Individual Type: Nomadic

• Population Trend: Stable

• Population: 0

• Locomotion: Terrestrial

• Habitat: 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; Stone Forest; Tropical Coniferous Forests; Tropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Grasslands; Tropical Savannas and Shrublands; Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub; Badlands; Flooded Grasslands and Savannas; Swamp; Bayous/Billabongs; Riparian; Wetland; Mangrove Forest; Mountain.

• Earth: 

  • Extinct: New Caledonia

• Berbania: none

• Reinachos: none

• Delphia: none

• Sawintir: none

• Agarathos: none

Coming soon

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.

• Coming soon

Coming soon

• Coming soon

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylviornis

• https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q146664

• https://eol.org/pages/47444860

• https://www.gbif.org/species/4847836

• https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/631765-Sylviornis

• https://www.irmng.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1022614

• https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon_no=39337

• https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon_no=371313&is_real_user=1

• https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Du

• https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/sylvester_stallone_584128

• https://www.deviantart.com/ognimdo2002/art/Du-Sylviornis-neocaledoniae-946987952