face carefully enough , and there are ghosts to be found in the forests of New Caledonia . Well , kinda – they ’re in reality kagus . Known by those native to the island territory as the “ trace of the forest ” , these flightlessbirdsare not only an emblem of the archipelago , but also have a bun in the oven a rummy feature find in no other known coinage of dame .

The feature in question is theirnasal corn , flap - like structure made out of skin that cover a kagu ’s nostril . Kagus , or cagous , even get part of their scientific name , Rhynochetos jubatus , from this unequalled trait ; the genus , Rhynocetos , stems fromthe Hellenic discussion for “ nose ” and “ corn ” .

It ’s thought that kagus have these adenoidal corn to stop dirt and other junk from get under one’s skin into their nose as they go about foraging through the leaf bedding material on the forest storey , or poke into rocks in search of delicious goods such as insect , snails , and lizards .

Unfortunately , this odd , but very helpful feature , is at risk of disappearing from birds entirely . That ’s not because there ’s a chance that evolution is about to trench it , but because kagus are anendangered species – and they ’ve reached that point as a result ofhuman activity .

In fact , the fate of kagus once looked even more dire . Back in the late 1800s – around the time that Europeans commence tosettleon the archipelago – they ended up on the brink of extinction due to those seeking their crown feathers , which made a popular decorative addition to hats .

While that fashion vogue gratefully came to an end , kagus have bear on to facethreats , with depredation by dogs and other introduced animals , as well as habitat loss , all causing identification number to turn down . Currently , it ’s approximate that there are just 600 to 2,000 of these bird remaining .

There is , however , some hope . conservationist have been working for 10 to ensure the selection of the species , with breeding programs and efforts to harness predators . The kagu might not be out of the woods just yet , but that work now is likely pay off . Jean - Marc Meriot , who manages the Rivière Bleue park , told theGuardianthat there were around 60 kagus living in the green in 1984 ; in 2024 , there are estimated to be more than 1,000 .

“ We now have wood region with unexampled couplet of cagous , ” say Meriot . “ The cagou population is doing very well , it is constantly extend and things could n’t be better . ”