Is this the weirdest bird ever?

Updated 11.00 Fri Nov 21 2008
Keywords: Bird, weird, strange, feathers, farm, New South Wales, Australia, funny, odd, strange but true

A strange looking feathered friend has been saved from extinction by a farming couple in Australia.

The Bush Stone Curlew is an endangered species and faces extinction.

Neville and Jan Lubke, from New South Wales, have been breeding the bird at their farm for the last eight years.

Mr Lubke said: "I've grown up with them, I've always loved them.

"I've been told by the odd person that 'only a mother could love them' and 'they're ugly', but I think they're magnificent."

The Lubke's are now releasing the birds from captivity into the wild.

Each of the birds are tagged which aids bird expert Peter Redfern to track them with his antenna: "There's a mystery about them that makes them very interesting and I suppose they're more or less similar characteristics to me."

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