Avian Mysteries?

I heard on the radio a few days ago of the reported sightings of greater numbers of the large, flightless owl parrot, the Kakapo. Now, you may ask yourself.. What is a Kakapo? I asked that exact question, but then this mysterious bird caught my attention and I did some research on it. Apparently, this species of parrot is a nocturnal endemic native to New Zealand and is the only parrot in the whole world that cannot fly. According to its anatomy it's the longest living bird on the planet earth, and the heaviest one as well. Curious on the Kakapo? Visit cryptozoonews.com for more information.

Since its discovery in 1845, the Kakapo has only been filmed twice in the wild, and after an absence of almost twenty years(Late 1950's to mid 1970's) , many believed this bird became extinct. Then in 1975, a male Kakapo was spotted on the Codfish Island off the coast of New Zealand, which was a relief for scientists. That is very strange for such a long absence, what were these birds doing? Since March of 2014 only 127 individuals still survive in the wild, putting it on the endangered list.

 

a-z-animals.com (Kakapo)

 

As you can see, this parrot is combined with an owl as well, which reminded me of videos and sounds I've seen and heard in class. Kakapos are ground dwellers, they spend their entire lives on the ground. As I observe Sonny, surprisingly there are similarities in behavior. Is it because they both don't live in trees and live differently? Or maybe they live secluded and private lives and don't interact with other birds? I'm stumped on that, it's very mysterious.

Maybe these two birds share ancestral roots, who knows it could be possible. Many parrot species do come from similar ancestors as they all have similar physical characteristics. But, as I compare a Kakapo with my parrot I can see the same kind of shyness and seclusion on both their parts, it gets more and more interesting.

 

Field Notes 10/22/14

 

 

Works Cited

  Clout, Mick. "Celebration of Kakapo: Progress in the Conservation of an Enigmatic Parrot." auckland.ac.nz. STA Travel. 2006. Web. October 25, 2014.