Kaka

Description

The New Zealand kaka,also known as kākā,(Nestor meridionalis) is a large species of parrot of the family Nestoridae found in native forests of New Zealand.Two subspecies are recognised.It is endangered and has disappeared from much of its former range.The New Zealand kākā is a medium-sized parrot,measuring 45 cm (18 in) in length and weighing from 390 to 560 g (14 to 20 oz),with an average of 452 g (0.996 lb).It is closely related to the kea,but has darker plumage and is more arboreal.The forehead and crown are greyish white and the nape is greyish brown.The neck and abdomen are more reddish,while the wings are more brownish.Both sub-species have a strongly patterned brown/green/grey plumage with orange and scarlet flashes under the wings;color variants which show red to yellow coloration especially on the breast are sometimes found.This group of parrots is unusual,retaining more primitive features lost in most other parrots,because it split off from the rest around 100 million years ago.