Kakapo

Description

The kakapo (Māori: kākāpō or night parrot),also called owl parrot (Strigops habroptila),is a species of large,flightless,nocturnal,ground-dwelling parrot of the super-family Strigopoidea,endemic to New Zealand.It has finely blotched yellow-green plumage,a distinct facial disc of sensory,vibrissa-like feathers,a large grey beak,short legs,large feet,and wings and a tail of relatively short length.A combination of traits make it unique among its kind;it is the world's only flightless parrot,the heaviest parrot,nocturnal,herbivorous,visibly sexually dimorphic in body size,has a low basal metabolic rate and no male parental care,and is the only parrot to have a polygynous lek breeding system.It is also possibly one of the world's longest-living birds.Its anatomy typifies the tendency of bird evolution on oceanic islands,with few predators and abundant food: a generally robust physique,with accretion of thermodynamic efficiency at the expense of flight abilities,reduced wing muscles,and a diminished keel on the sternum.Like many other New Zealand bird species,the kakapo was historically important to the Māori,the indigenous people of New Zealand,appearing in many of their traditional legends and folklore;however it was also heavily hunted and used as a resource by Māori,both for its meat as a food source and for its feathers,which were used to make highly valued pieces of clothing.Kakapos were also occasionally kept as pets.