The Fabulous Kakapo

The Fabulous Kakapo

The birds live in New Zealand, an island country which had virtually no mammals living on it for millions of years. It was a place inhabited by birds and reptiles. The only types of mammal were two species of bats. The Kakapo did not learn the defense mechanisms to combat or escape mammalian predators. This made the parrot very vulnerable when new animals started showing up.
The kakapo is the worlds heaviest and only flightless parrot. They are up to 60 cm long and weigh up to 3.5 kilograms (8 lbs.). It has a virtually keel-less sternum which makes it incapable of flying in the true sense: it can only 'parachute' from trees using its wings for balance and braking. It is nocturnal, solitary and secretive. It lives mainly on the ground but can climb trees.
The kakapo has soft moss-green feathers barred with black on its back, pale yellow-green feathers underneath and, hidden away, an unusually soft layer of downy feathers. (Old specimens of pure yellow kakapo a...