The kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) is a critically endangered, nocturnal, flightless parrot endemic to New Zealand, known for its unique owl-like appearance, exceptional longevity, and distinctive breeding behavior. Kākāpō can be up to 64 cm (25 in) long. They have a combination of unique traits among parrots: finely blotched yellow–green plumage, a distinct facial disc, owl-like forward-facing eyes with surrounding discs of specially textured feathers, a large grey beak, short legs, large blue feet, relatively short wings and a short tail. It is the world's only flightless parrot, the world's heaviest parrot, and also is nocturnal, herbivorous, visibly sexually dimorphic in body size, has a low basal metabolic rate, and does not have male parental care. It is the only parrot to have a polygynous lek breeding system. It is also possibly one of the world's longest-living birds, with a reported lifespan of up to 100 years. Adult males weigh around 1.5–3 kilograms (3.3–6.6 lb); the equivalent figure for females is 0.950–1.6 kilograms (2.09–3.53 lb). The anatomy of the kākāpō typifies the tendency of bird evolution on oceanic islands. With few predators and abundant food, kākāpō exhibit island syndrome development, having a generally robust torso physique at the expense of flight abilities, resulting in reduced shoulder and wing muscles, along with a diminished keel on the sternum. Like many other New Zealand bird species, the kākāpō was historically important to Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. It appears in Māori mythology. Largely hunted in the past, it was used by the Māori both for its red meat and for its feathers. The kākāpō is critically endangered; the total known population of living individuals is 235 (as of 2026).[7] Known individuals are named, tagged and confined to four small New Zealand islands, all of which are clear of predators;[8] however, in 2023, a reintroduction to mainland New Zealand (Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari) was accomplished.[9] Introduced mammalian predators, such as cats, rats, ferrets, and stoats almost wiped out the kākāpō. All conservation efforts were unsuccessful until the Kākāpō Recovery Programme began in 1995.
The kākāpō was formally described and illustrated in 1845 by the English ornithologist George Robert Gray. He created a new genus and coined the binomial name Strigops habroptilus. Gray was uncertain about the origin of his specimen and wrote, "This remarkable bird is found in one of the islands of the South Pacific Ocean."[10] The type location has been designated as Dusky Sound on the southwest corner of New Zealand's South Island.[11][12] The generic name Strigops is derived from the Ancient Greek strix, genitive strigos ("owl"), and ops ("face"), while its specific epithet habroptilus comes from habros ("soft"), and ptilon ("feather"). Endemic to the island country of New Zealand, the kākāpō is a large, green, flightless parrot with an owl-like complexion. Regarded as a taonga species (treasured, prized) to Ngāi Tahu, the principal Māori iwi (tribe) of the South Island, the kākāpō evolved to be a distinct species approximately 30 million years ago, thus holding historical, cultural and spiritual significance locally. Easily identifiable by its moss-green coloration, brownish yellow mottling of feathers, and grey hooked beak, the ground-dwelling kākāpō’s plumage evolved to blend in with surrounding forest foliage, diverging from the distinctive bright, vivid pigments that typically adorn parrot species. Historically threatened only by large, diurnal birds of prey, the kākāpō’s camouflaging coloration, coupled with its tendency to freeze in the face of danger, allowed it to evade aerial predators with relative ease. With short, solid legs and large feet, kākāpō are strong hikers and climbers, using their hooked bills, a characteristic feature of parrot species, to climb up 20 meter tall rimu treesand parachute down with their wings. The kākāpō is a herbivorous species with a diverse diet that varies seasonally, typically consuming leaves, stems, roots, bark, buds, flowers, fruit, nectar, seeds, and bulbs. Opting for new growth in the summer and spring months, and returning to bark and tubers in the autumn, the historic abundance of terrestrial food sources in New Zealand has been deemed a significant factor in the kākāpō’s evolution towards flightlessness. Feeding almost exclusively on key species when plentiful, the kākāpō’s most crucial food source is the rimu fruit tree, with mass-fruiting events indicating the start of the kākāpō’s breeding season. The vitamin D and calcium found in the rimu fruit are essential to egg production and the growth of chicks, however mass-fruiting only occurs every two to five years.
