A pair of rare takahē birds, believed to be infertile, have shocked conservation staff by hatching a chick in Zealandia, New Zealand's largest urban eco-sanctuary close to Wellington. The chick, about seven weeks old, was discovered in November but kept secret to protect it. Zealandia’s conservation manager Jo Ledington said, "It’s a miracle, we just weren’t expecting it at all." The chick shows fuzzy black down, big white legs, and a small black and white beak. Takahē are unusual flightless birds, once thought extinct until rediscovered in 1948. The species now numbers around 500 through a long-running conservation effort. The chick’s parents, Bendigo and Waitaa, came to Zealandia two years ago as a non-breeding pair and had failed to nest in 2024. When Waitaa disappeared in October, staff suspected she was nesting. Later, trail cameras recorded chick cheeping sounds confirming its presence. Ledington said the chick has entered a "dinosaur phase" with chunky legs and a changing beak shape. It will look more like an adult takahē, which stand 50cm tall and feature red legs and green-blue feathers, by three months old. Zealandia usually doesn't house breeding takahē due to lack of grassland habitat, making this chick’s birth even more special. The sanctuary has helped many native birds flourish by protecting them from predators. "Any chick that we can add to that population is just incredibly valuable," Ledington added. Zealandia staff joked if there was "something special in the water," referring to past surprise takahē chick hatchings in the sanctuary. This precious chick brings fresh hope for the endangered takahē species.