The chubby flightless parrot that freezes and booms in the dark
This is the world's only flightless parrot, and it freezes instead of flying away.
Which one is REALLY true about the Kakapo?
The short version
The kakapo is the world's only flightless parrot and one of the heaviest, from New Zealand. It waddles and climbs, freezes when threatened (trusting its mossy camouflage), and males attract mates with a deep booming call that carries for miles. It breeds only every few years, lives to ~90, and is so rare every bird has a name.
Why it's so weird
- ✓The Kakapo is the world's only flightless parrot, and one of the heaviest parrots on Earth.
- ✓The Kakapo waddles along the forest floor and clambers up trees instead of flying.
- ✓The Kakapo freezes when threatened, trusting its mossy green feathers to hide it.
- ✓The Kakapo inflates its body like a balloon and booms from a bowl dug in the dirt, a call that carries for miles.
- ✓The Kakapo is so rare that every single living bird has its own name.
You could line up about 2 of them along a 7-year-old!
The full story
This chubby green parrot is one of the strangest birds alive, and it cannot fly at all. Meet the kakapo, the world's only flightless parrot, and one of the heaviest, from the forests of New Zealand. Instead of flying, it waddles along the ground and clambers up trees, and when it feels threatened, it simply freezes and hopes its mossy green feathers hide it. That worked for millions of years, until humans brought cats and rats. To attract a mate, the male digs a bowl in the dirt, inflates his body like a balloon, and lets out a deep booming call that can carry for miles through the night. It even gives off a sweet, musky smell, which sadly helped the very predators that hunt it find it in the dark. Kakapo breed only every few years, live to around ninety, and are so rare that every single bird has its own name. Follow for more weird animal facts.
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“The Kakapo is the world's only flightless parrot, and one of the heaviest parrots on Earth.”
“The Kakapo can live its entire life without ever drinking a single drop of water.”
“The Kakapo waddles along the forest floor and clambers up trees instead of flying.”