Kakapo

By Blue Beanz, March 6, 2020

The Kakapo is the world's only flightless parrot. instead of flying, due to their weight of around 7 pounds, they walk with their feet and beak and sometimes climb trees. These birds live in New Zealand and are currently endangered, with only 211 birds left due to their slow reproduction which happens in Autumn and Summer every two to three years with a cluster of one to four eggs. Only fifty percent of the eggs usually turn out to be fertile. Kakapos are nocturnal and instead of nests in trees they settle for the ground underneath some plants or a hollow tree trunk. The ground nesting has its problems with predators, but for the kakapo, it was their best bet. An explorer, Charlie Douglas, wrote: “They could be caught in the moonlight by simply shaking the tree or bush until they tumbled to the ground, like shaking down apples.” so the trees would not be much better anyway. And if you were wondering, yes these birds have adapted… a little. The Kakapo’s eyes have moved towards the front of their face to help them move through the forest and also to help them search for berries when all is dark. The berries that Kakapos eat come from a Rimu tree, and they also eat different kinds of seeds, nuts, fruits, and flowers. Kakapo have very slow metabolisms causing these birds to be one of the longest living birds! They can live up to 95 years!