Kākāpō
[Kah-kə-poh]
Image credit:
Jake Osborne
The Kākāpō is a parrot endemic to New Zealand
(Aotearoa) and holds two titles: the world’s only flightless parrot and
the worlds heaviest. Kākāpō’s are nocturnal and often
referred to as a night parrot. This comes from the Māori words
‘kākā’ meaning parrot and ‘pō’ meaning night. Their
scientific name 'Strigops habroptilus' meaning owl face soft
feather, gives them their other nickname owl parrot. It refers to the
feather patterning on their face being similar to an owl.
Although Kākāpō’s have a lifespan of up to 100 years,
breeding only occurs once every two to five years, aligned to when rimu
tree fruits are in abundance, their favourite food.
Kākāpō numbers reached a low of 51 in 1995, making them
critically endangered, and not too much has changed. Their decline in
numbers is a direct result of the introduction of predators,
over-hunting and deforestation. Conservation efforts began in 1894, and
were unsuccessful for over 100 years. The Kākāpō's low
numbers make them more prone to disease and fertility issues from
inbreeding. There is however some good news! The
Kākāpō population has increased to 252 after a very
successful 2022 breeding season.
🦜 Learn more from the New Zealand
Department of Conservation
Follow
Dr Andrew Digby, conservation biologist for the Kākāpō recovery