Kakapo?

The Kakapo is probably the most adorable parrot ever to grace this earth.

The kakapo (:Maori: kākāpō, meaning night parrot), also called owl parrot (Strigops habroptilus), is a species of large, flightless, nocturnal ground-dwelling parrot of the super-family Strigopoidea, endemic to New Zealand. Oh, and their also the ONLY flightless parrot. Like, ever. So these guys are pretty unique.

It has finely blotched yellow-green plumage, a distinct facial disc, a large grey beak, short legs, large feet, and relatively short wings and tail. Those huge beaks of theirs give them a special owly look as well. A combination of traits make it unique among its kind; it is the world’s only flightless parrot, the heaviest parrot, nocturnal, and herbivorous. It is also possibly one of the world’s longest-living birds. Sadly, these adorable sweetie pies are going endangered or something. Terrible.

Like many other New Zealand bird species, the kakapo was historically important to Maori, 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 Maori, both for its meat as a food source and for its feathers, which were used to make highly valued pieces of clothing. Who would eat them, though?! Kakapo were also occasionally kept as pets. And boy, do I wish I could have one of these. JUST LOOK AT THEM!! They are giving my bird loving heart butterflies.

The kakapo is critically endangered; as of February 2019, the total known adult population was 147 living individuals, all of which are named. I have 32 birds and they all have names too. Because of the introduction of predators such as cats, rats, ferrets, and stoats during European colonization, the kakapo was almost wiped out. Conservation efforts began in the 1890s, but they were not very successful until the implementation of the Kakapo Recovery Programme in 1995. Same story with the dodo, and the African Penguins. People bring cats, rats, pigs, and stuff and they eat everything. Bummer really. Humans should stop destroying nature.

Most kakapo are kept on two predator-free islands, Codfish / Whenua Hou and Anchor, where they are closely monitored, and Little Barrier / Hauturu Island is being trialled as a third home for the species.

Anyways, these little guys are absolutely stunning! If you ever need a good old ‘AAAWWW!!’, feel free to check out these links: