Fact Of The Day
Did you know that kakapos are the world's only flightless parrots?
You’ve probably not seen one flying around and there is a good reason for that too!
Have you heard about Kakapos before? If not, there is good a reason for that – because they are one of the world’s rarest birds.
After reading these facts, you will love them so much, and you may even be ready to leave for New Zealand to see one alive.
Kakapo Facts
1. Although it is a parrot, it looks very similar to owls.
In fact, apart from their similar-looking facial appearance, they also share similar behaviors.
Both birds, kakapos, and owls, are nocturnal.
Meaning, that they are more active during the night.
2. The numbers of kakapo population are steadily growing.
Of course, that is great news. In 1995, their numbers were close to extinction.
Fortunately, the establishment of Kakapo Recovery Programs has helped to increase their numbers steadily.
The year 2016 was a booming season for kakapo breeding, which bumped up their numbers by 28%.
3. Kakapo Recovery Program equipped all of the kakapos with a GPS tracking device to monitor their movements remotely.
In addition to that, each of the existing Kakapos gets an individualized health check at the end of the year.
In other words, they are being treated as royals!
4. Kakapos’ sense of smell is one and half times stronger than humans’.
According to the Cornell University publication, kakapos are one the best “smellers” on this planet.
Humans have 400 functional olfactory receptors, while Kakapos possess 667.
5. They live for over 90 years.
Their lifespan is amazing. What is their secret? They definitely do not drink the elixir of life.
However, some scholars describe their way of life as if they are living in a time capsule.
Kakapos do not rush themselves, they mature slowly, they breed slowly and they die slowly.
6. Unlike most birds, kakapos build their nests on the ground or in a hollow tree trunk.
In some cases, their nest can also be found under the ground, inside natural cavities.
The birds lay 1-4 eggs per breeding season. Male kakapos do not take a part in the incubation process.
The eggs hatch within 29-30 days.
Maternal care lasts about 6 months until young kakapos fully adapt to independent life.
7. Kakapos are the heaviest among all other species of Parrots.
Some may suspect their fat body structure to be the cause that prevents them from flying.
However, it is still debatable. One may ask a question that is similar to the famous “chicken or egg” question.
Are kakapos unable to fly because they are fat, or do they get fat because they do not fly?
8. Although they are lacking the wing muscles to fly onto the tree, they ascend there by climbing.
Kakapos are birds, after all, so they want to be on the tree like any other birds do.
So, they climb there using their strong legs and come back down by parachuting with wings.
9. They breed when there is plentiful fruit from Rumi Tree.
That happens once in two to four years.
Dr. Pamela Von Hurst from the University Massey found that fruits of Rumi Tree, more specifically, the fruit’s vitamin D and Calcium content stimulate Kakapo breeding.
The scientists now believe that the discovery can be a real game-changer in kakapo breeding and increasing their population.
10. If you like the smell of honey, then you may like the smell of a kakapo.
Kakapos are known for their sweet odor which reminds the smell of honey.
However, their smell can give a hint to hungry predators.
11. Kakapos are entirely herbivorous.
In other words, they stick to a plant-based diet.
They eat berries, fruits, seeds, and nuts.
However, their favorite food among all is the fruit of the Rumi Tree.
If this fruit is abundant, they prefer nothing else.
12. Kakapos lived alone in remote islands without having predators.
That means they lived without having a fear of becoming prey for a hungry creature.
Some scholars theorize that Kakapos did not learn to fly because they did not experience any fear or urge of self-defense, unlike many other birds.
13. Kakapos were historically important for the indigenous Maori people of New Zealand.
Kakapos were an easily accessible protein source for them. European settlers also hunted them down for meat.
So, when people started coming to those inhabited islands with their cats and dogs, populations of Kakapos were almost wiped out.
Thanks to recent conservation activities, they were prevented from going extinct.
14. Kakapo was chosen as one of the world’s ugliest animals.
During a contest that was organized to raise awareness of endangered species, kakapo got the second spot after a deep-sea blobfish.
Everyone has a different taste.
Personally, I find kakapos attractive because of their vibrant colors and sharp eyes.
15. Kakapos are the world’s only flightless parrots.
Although they can’t use their wing as other birds do, they still can get from one point to the other thanks to their strong legs.
These flightless parrots are unsurprisingly good hikers.
They utilize their short wings only when they need to balance their body or parachute themselves off the trees.
16. They stop and freeze if they feel threatened.
That is the kakapos’ defense mechanism. When they are caught off guard, they just stay motionless.
That method works well for them since their camouflage feathers blend in with nature’s vegetation pretty well, making them hard to detect.
17. The Name “Kakapo” means “Night Parrot” in the Maori language.
The word “Kaka” means Parrot and “PO” means night.
The reason is obvious, kakapos are more active at night and they sleep during the day.
18. All of the existing kakapos have cool names.
You can learn all of their names by heart since there are not so many of them.
Apart from their names, their family and life history are also being recorded.
For example, Maggie the Kakapo was the second female captured on Steward Islands.
She was first found in March of 1980. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2014 as a result of a landslide.
19. You may find them in New Zealand, but only if you are lucky.
According to the New Zealand Department of Conservation, as of August 2018, there were only 147 individuals in the world.
Thus, makes them hard to find the bird in the wilderness.
They were also added to The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
20. Currently, they are being kept in predator-free islands.
Codfish and Anchor islands are the home for the Kakapos.
They are being monitored on regular basis to maintain their well-being.
Kakapo Trivia Questions And Answers
How many kakapos are left?
Ans: Currently, there is just 142 adult kakapo alive, which have all found refuge from predators on the remote Codfish Island, or Whenua Hou, and Anchor Island, also known as Puke Nui. A team of more than 100 scientists, rangers, and volunteers had worked tirelessly to make this year the biggest breeding season on record.
Is the kakapo extinct?
Ans: The kakapo is critically endangered; the total known adult population is 204 living individuals, all of which are named and tagged, confined to four small islands off the coast of New Zealand that have been cleared of predators.
Which is the biggest parrot in the world?
Ans: Palaeontologists from Australia and New Zealand have unearthed a new bird species from the fossil record, and it's a whopper. The giant bird, named Heracles inexpectatus for its Herculean proportions, towered at one meter in height and weighed up to seven kilograms.
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