To apply different methodologies to effectively conserve the takahe, it is necessary to conduct studies to understand the bird as much as possible. It is indicated that takahe are a specialized species, meaning that they can only live in one type of habitat and have a limited ability to tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions and are able to eat only certain types of food (Miller & Spoolman, 2010, page 72). In Fiordland, the birds live in alpine grasslands and eat mainly tufts of grass, and tufts of snow are their favourite. However, in winter, takahe change their living place to wooded valleys, where they can find the rhizome of the fern. On the other hand, on the islands, the food the takahe eat is a mixture of native grasses and several types of introduced grasses (Crouchley, 1994, p. 6). The most important reason why the birds need protection is because they are endemic to New Zealand. Since Maori and European colonization began, the bird population has suffered a sharp decline over time. During Māori colonization, excessive hunting was a major factor causing reductions in population size. Therefore, when the Europeans arrived, the number of takahe was already critically low (Bunin & Jamieson, 1995, p. 101). In addition to this, in the late 1960s, many other things occurred, including severe vegetation changes by deer, predators such as stoat, and possibly accidental cyanide poisoning. The harsh climate also contributed to the loss of bird numbers (Crouchley, 1994, p. 7). Another reason for this loss is the takahe reproduction pattern itself. As mentioned above, the breeding season is limited to once a year, starting only in late summer and lasting three months. The possible… medium of paper… petition and predation which directly or indirectly poses a great threat to them. Above all, the islands are well managed by the DOC. To visit one of the islands it is mandatory to obtain permission from the DOC. Several methods have been used to ensure that no tourists bring predators, especially rats, with them and accidentally or deliberately reintroduce them to the islands. Furthermore, a successful breeding program has also been carried out on the islands, helping the number of individuals and pairs of takahe increase significantly over time. According to one study, since the breeding program began, the population has increased by 33 individuals, from 30 when they were first introduced to 63 adult takahe in October 2009. Of the 64 adult takahe, 46 of them were breeding in 22 couples/groups. (Grueber, Maxwell & Jamieson, 2012, p. 225) (see Figure 13).