The kagu, also called the cagou, is an endangered bird from New Caledonia.
The kagu is a bluish-gray, crested, long-legged bird endemic to the main island of Grande Terre. Its scientific name is Rhynochetos jubatus, and it is the only surviving species in both its genus and family. Although it has wings, it is almost flightless and spends much of its time walking through forests and shrubland while searching for invertebrates.
One unusual feature is its nasal corns, structures that help keep soil and debris out of its nostrils while it probes the ground. It also produces powder down, which helps keep its feathers dry. Kagus usually build a simple nest on the forest floor, and both parents share incubation of a single egg.
The species declined through hunting, habitat loss, and the arrival of introduced predators such as dogs, cats, rats, and pigs. “Cagou” is the French name and an accepted alternative English spelling, so it is not a different bird from the kagu.