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The Kakapo ( Maori for night parrot), Strigops habroptilus ("owl-faced soft feathers"), is a species of nocturnal parrot endemic to New Zealand. It is notable for being the world's only flightless parrot, the heaviest parrot, and the only parrot to have a lek breeding system. It is also the only flightless lek bird and is possibly the world's longest-lived bird. It is the only species in the genus Strigops and subfamily Strigopinae.
Kakapo are critically endangered, with only 83 living individuals known, all of whom are named. Prehistorically, the ancestral Kakapo migrated to the islands of New Zealand and, in the absence of mammalSubclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpian predators, it lost the ability to fly. With European and Polynesian colonization and the introduction of predators such as catFor alternative meanings see cat (disambiguation). The cat (also called domestic cat or house cat is a small feline carnivorous mammal. Its scientific name is Felis silvestris catus or Felis silvestris domesticus but the species is sometimes referred to as, ratThis is an article about wild rats; for pet rats, see Fancy rat 50 species; see text Several subfamilies of Muridsinclude animals called rats. A rat is a small omnivorous rodent of the genus Rattus . Rats are mammals somewhat bigger than their relatives ts, and stoatThe Stoat Mustela erminea is a small mammal of the family Mustelidae. In North America it is also referred to as the Short-tailed Weasel . When in its white winter coat, it is also called an Ermine . Natural history It is an opportunistic carnivore, and gs, almost all Kakapo were wiped out. In 19951995 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). It has a Golden number of 1, and was the first year of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People (1995- 2005): http://www. org/culture/indigenous . Events January events Ja, there were only 50 known surviving individuals.
1 Physical characteristics
All remaining Kakapo have mossThis is an article about the plant. For other uses, see Moss (disambiguation Andreaeidae Sphagnidae Tetraphidae Polytrichidae Buxbaumiidae Bryidae Archidiidae Moss is a type of simple or nonvascular plant, of the class Musci in the division Bryophyta, tha- greenGreen is a colour seen commonly in nature. Plants are green because they contain chlorophyll. Green light has a wavelength of around 550 nm and is one of the additive primary colours, the complement of magenta. Many artists, however, continue to use a tra feathers barred with black on the back, blending well with native vegetation. As the feathers do not need the strength and stiffness required for flight, they are exceptionally soft, giving rise to the species descriptor habroptilus. Their underbellies, necks, and faces are yellowish with great variability between individuals. It is known from museum specimens that some birds had completely yellow coloring. Kakapo have a facial disc of fine feathers, resembling the face of an owl; thus early European settlers called it the owl parrot. Delicate " whiskers" surround their beaks, which they use to sense the ground as they walk with their heads lowered. The ends of their tail feathers often become worn from being continually dragged on the ground.
Kakapo are large, rotund parrots: males measure up to 60 cm and weigh between 3 and 4 kg at maturity. Kakapo are unable to fly, having short wings for their size and lacking the pronounced keel bone ( sternum) that anchors the flight muscles of other birds. They do use their wings for balance, support, and to break their falls when leaping from trees. Unlike other land birds, the Kakapo can accumulate large amounts of body fat to store energy.
Kakapo's beaks are specially adapted for grinding their food very finely. For this reason, they have very small gizzards compared to other birds of their size. Kakapo feet are large, scaly and, as in all parrots, zygodactyl (two toes face forward and two backward). They have pronounced claws that are particularly useful for climbing.
One of the most striking characteristics of Kakapo is their pleasant and powerful odor. It has been variously described as like flowers and honey, an air freshener, or the inside of an antique violin case. The smell has often lead predators right to the relatively defenseless Kakapo.
