Kākāpō

The kākāpō is a parrot species found naturally only in New Zealand. Its scientific name is Strigops habroptilus. It is nocturnal and flightless, with a bulky body, moss-green plumage mottled with yellow and dark markings, and a pale, owl-like face. It is the heaviest living parrot and the only living parrot species that cannot fly.

Unlike most parrots, kākāpō live and feed mainly on the ground. Their strong legs also help them climb. Their quiet, cryptic colouring and terrestrial lifestyle reflect the unusual ecology of a bird that evolved on islands with few native mammalian predators.

Kākāpō are herbivores. Their diet includes forest fruits, seeds, leaves and roots, and they can travel across the ground in search of food. Breeding is infrequent and often linked to years when native trees produce abundant fruit. In parts of the southern range, breeding has been associated with heavy fruiting, or mast years, of the rimu tree.

Males gather at display sites called leks, where they make deep booming calls to attract females. Kākāpō are the only parrot known to use this mating system. Females nest on or near the ground and raise the chicks without male assistance, leaving nests especially vulnerable when they forage.

Kākāpō once occupied forests across New Zealand. Hunting, habitat change and the arrival of introduced mammals, including predators that attack adults, eggs and chicks, caused a severe decline. The bird's instinct to freeze and rely on camouflage is poorly suited to predators that hunt by smell. By the late twentieth century the species was close to extinction.

New Zealand conservation teams transferred surviving birds to offshore islands and other protected sanctuaries where introduced predators could be excluded or controlled. The Department of Conservation's Kākāpō Recovery programme now brings together iwi, rangers, scientists, volunteers and others. Intensive work includes monitoring individual birds and nests, managing breeding, and protecting chicks. The Department classifies the species as Threatened – Nationally Critical in New Zealand. The population has increased from its historic low, but its small, closely managed distribution and breeding biology make continued conservation necessary.