Kakapo

The Kakapo is a large, flightless, nocturnal parrot found only in New Zealand. It is the heaviest parrot species alive and among the longest-lived of all birds.

Appearance

Plumage is moss-green mottled with black and yellow, providing effective camouflage against forest vegetation. The face bears a distinctive owl-like disc of fine, whisker-like feathers around the beak, which helps it navigate and forage by touch and smell in darkness. The wings are short and rounded, useful for balance and controlled gliding descents from trees rather than powered flight, and the legs and feet are large and strong for a ground-dwelling lifestyle.

Key field marks

• Large, heavy-bodied, flightless parrot
• Moss-green plumage mottled with black and yellow
• Owl-like facial disc of fine feathers
• Short rounded wings held loosely, not used for sustained flight
• Strong legs and large feet adapted for walking and climbing

Similar species

The Kakapo is unmistakable: it is the world's only flightless parrot, so no confusion is possible with any other parrot species. Its nocturnal habits and ground-based movement further separate it from all diurnal, flighted New Zealand parrots such as the Kea and Kaka.

Range

Kakapo were once widespread across New Zealand's forests and scrublands but were driven to near-extinction by introduced predators such as rats, stoats, and cats. The species now survives only on a small number of intensively managed, predator-free offshore islands, including Whenua Hou (Codfish Island) and Anchor Island, as part of an ongoing national recovery program.

Habitat

Historically found in native podocarp and beech forest as well as subalpine scrub, surviving populations today are managed within predator-free reserves that mimic these original forest habitats.

Migration

Kakapo are non-migratory and largely sedentary within their home ranges, though individuals may travel considerable distances between feeding areas and breeding lek sites.

Behavior

Kakapo are solitary, ground-dwelling, and strictly nocturnal, spending daylight hours roosting in concealed spots and becoming active after dark to forage and, during breeding season, to display.

Voice

Males produce a deep, resonant booming call, repeated for hours at traditional display sites known as leks, audible over long distances; they also produce a sharper metallic "ching" call believed to help females locate the booming male.

Feeding

Kakapo are herbivorous, climbing trees using their beak and claws to browse leaves, bark, and fruit, and foraging on the ground for roots, rhizomes, and fallen fruit; the fruiting of the rimu tree is closely tied to breeding.

Nesting and breeding

Breeding follows a lek mating system in which males gather at arenas to boom and compete for female attention, with no pair bond formed. Females nest alone on the ground, and breeding is infrequent, typically synchronized with the mast fruiting of rimu trees every two to four years.