Kakapo

Kakapo an owl parrot is one of the most amazing and adorable birds. But comes in the critically endangered category. Let's explore this flightless bird. 

Image source: Google: https://www.wired.com/?intcid=inline_amp

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Family	Strigopidae
Genus	Strigops
Species	habroptilus
Class	Aves

Scientific name-

 Strigops habroptilus.

"Strigops" means "owl "and "Habroptilus" means "face". However, habroptilus comes from "habro" which means "soft", and " option" which means "feather".

Kakapo name comes from the Māori kākāpō which comes from "kākā" mean parrot and  "pō" mean night.

They come in the category of CR- Critically Endangered.

These birds are flightless, nocturnal, and ground-dwelling birds. But they are excellent climbers. They have a large grey beak and have short wings. They are lack in keel in the breastbone where the flight muscle is affixed. That's why they are flightless birds. 

These birds retain a well-developed sense of smell. 

They are known as the world's heaviest parrots. 

Life span - 40- 90 years. 

They can be identified by their misty sweet aroma.

The size of an adult kakapo is 58-64 cm in length.

Weight - an adult male can have 2- 4 kg of weight while females have 1.28-1.5 kg of weight.

What did kakapo eat?

They feed on fruits, orchards, rimu branches, tubers, juicy supply jack vines, pollen grains, seeds, etc.

Male and females differentiation-

Male is larger than females. Females have pinkish grey legs and feet. They have a larger tail. They have a narrow and less domed head, they have longer beak smaller care. 

That's interesting to know that Nesting females have a brood patch of bare skin on the belly. 

Habitat-

they can survive in dry, hot summers as well as in cold winters. They prefer to live in mountain beaches and halls tōtara forest with mild winters and high rainfall. They are native to New Zealand. 

Breeding -

That's fascinatinging to know that male start breeding only after when they are more than 5 years old. And females are matured at 9 years of age. They mate only when the rimu fruit is ripped. Approximately once in 5 years. Male make blooming calls to attract females. They stabilize their court for getting the attention of females. For the best court, so many fights can be discerned. And in these fights, many of them get injured and even killed.  Male make blooming calls for 6- 8 hours in the night for about 4 months.

After mating male leaves the female. 

As a solo parent, the female takes care of her eggs. Kakapo lays 1- 4 eggs. It takes approx. 30 days to hatch. As a solo parent, the female is forced to leave the nest and her eggs at night in search of food. And that time the eggs can be attached by the predators.

Male and female-only meet for mating.

 

Earlier kakapo is heavily hunted for meat and their feathers. Their feathers are used to make clothes. 

Now only 204 kakapos are left. They need so much concern otherwise we will be losing this amazing bird. 

Do you want this bird as a pet ??

so let me tell you this is not legal to keep this bird at home. Because of its decreasing number this bird needs much more concern for its survival. So no risk can be taken.