[Animals] Kākāpō: New Zealand native land birds

[Aronus]

The kākāpō is a nocturnal, flightless parrot. And its strangeness doesn't end there. It's critically endangered and one of New Zealand’s unique treasures.

Kākāpō Recovery leads kākāpō conservation efforts today. They face major challenges due to kākāpō infertility and inbreeding. Nevertheless, they've had some triumphant successes using innovative techniques to grow the po[CENSORED]tion.

The history of kākāpō is a story of drama, despair and hope. Before humans arrived, kākāpō were abundant throughout New Zealand. Po[CENSORED]tion numbers dropped swiftly due to hunting, introduced predators and land clearance.

Conservation efforts began in 1894, but by the mid-1900s, kākāpō teetered on the edge of extinction. 

What's unusual about kākāpō?
The kākāpō is a large green parrot with a distinctive owl-like face and a waddling gait. They cannot fly, but they climb well.

Kākāpō are:

• nocturnal
• flightless
• the only lek-breeding parrot species in the world
• perhaps the longest-lived bird species in the world, estimated to reach 90 years
• the heaviest parrot species in the world – smaller females weigh 1.4 kg, and males 2.2 kg. And they can pile on 1 kg of fat prior to a breeding season.

 

 

Kākāpō: New Zealand native land birds