© Eric VanderWerf
© Maggie Evans
© Maggie Evans

Kakapo Strigops habroptila

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Identification

POWERED BY MERLIN

New Zealand’s largest endemic parrot. Flightless, nocturnal, and solitary, confined to several predator-free offshore islands. Adults have a moss-green coloring mottled with black and yellow on top. Shows gray legs, feet, and bill with a unique pale owl-like face. A solitary bird that forages on the ground and climbs trees at night. During the breeding season, males gather on lek-breeding “arenas,” a series of bowls and tracks where they give deep, resonating booming calls to attract females. Calls can carry several kilometers.

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