Kakapo

Lore & Background

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. The type location has been designated as Dusky Sound on the southwest corner of New Zealand's South Island. 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'). The name kākāpō is Māori, from kākā ('parrot') + pō ('night'); the name is both singular and plural. 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.

In Their Own Story

Under the pale light of a full moon, the ancient forest floor hums with silence until a low, resonant boom vibrates through the ferns. A massive shape emerges from the shadows, its mossy feathers blending seamlessly with the night foliage. This is a male kakapo, his chest puffed out as he digs a bowl into the earth, creating a perfect acoustic chamber for his call. He waits, patient as stone, for hours in the cool air, hoping the scent of a female carried on the wind will guide her to this specific clearing. Around him, the forest is quiet, save for the rustle of leaves and the distant hoot of an owl that no longer poses a threat here.

Reader's Guide

The kākāpō is a large, rotund parrot. Adults can measure from 58 to 64 cm (23 to 25 in) in length with a wingspan of 82 cm (32 in). Males are significantly heavier than females with an average weight of 2 kg (4.4 lb) compared with just 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) for females. The kākāpō cannot fly, having relatively short wings for its size and lacking the keel on the sternum. It uses its wings for balance and to break its fall when leaping from trees. Lighter females are able to perform short glides across gaps in the canopy. The upper parts of the kākāpō have yellowish moss-green feathers barred or mottled with black or dark brownish grey. The breast and flank are yellowish-green streaked with yellow. The belly, undertail, neck, and face are predominantly yellowish streaked with pale green and weakly mottled with brownish-grey. The kākāpō has a conspicuous facial disc of fine feathers resembling the face of an owl. The beak is surrounded by delicate feathers which resemble vibrissae or 'whiskers'. The mandible is variable in colour, mostly ivory, with the upper part often bluish-grey. The eyes are dark brown. Kākāpō feet are large, scaly, and, as in all parrots, zygodactyl. The pronounced claws are particularly useful for climbing. Females are easily distinguished from males as they have a narrower and less domed head, narrower and proportionally longer beak, smaller cere and nostrils, more slender and pinkish grey legs and feet, and proportionally longer tail. The kākāpō has a well-developed sense of smell. One of the most striking characteristics of the kākāpō is its distinct musty-sweet odour. The smell often alerts predators to the presence of kākāpō. As a nocturnal species, the kākāpō has adapted its senses to living in darkness.

Did You Know?

• The kākāpō is the world's only flightless parrot and the heaviest parrot.
• It is the only parrot to have a polygynous lek breeding system.
• The kākāpō has a distinct musty-sweet odour that often alerts predators to its presence.
• The total known population of living kākāpō is 325 as of 2026.