Say hello to the kakapo, or the owl parrot, surely one of the strangest birds on the planet: It has the body of a huge green parrot and the face of an owl. Unable to fly, it has a comical waddling walk and is equipped with a big, loud voice.
It’s believed that the kakapo is one of the heaviest parrots in the world; the average weight of males is around 4.5 to 6.6 pounds (2 to 3 kilograms), while females weigh around 2.2 to 3.3 pounds (1 to 1.5 kilograms).
To help protect them from predators, kakapos have been introduced to the safe New Zealand islands of Anchor, Codfish, Chalky Island, and Little Barrier, where these national treasures can live free from external dangers.
The first kakapo partially reared in captivity, Hoki was wonderfully entertaining as a youngster when she took extra pleasure in playing with the buttons and zippers on her keepers’ clothing. Now in the wild, she’s described as being rather “bad-tempered,” causing a fuss when she isn’t getting her own way, but behaving more nicely towards new volunteers.
Something of a New Zealand celebrity, this particular kakapo “thinks he’s human”, and the DOC credit him with teaching them a huge amount about his species. One day, Sirocco even showed them that kakapo can swim, say the organization: “He was visiting Maud Island and saw the ranger’s family running and jumping off the jetty. He joined in, then paddled back to shore and shook himself off, seemingly unfazed.”
Sirocco, Solstice, Morehu, Hoki, and their other companions hopefully have many more happy days surrounded by nature ahead.
The kakapo has perhaps the longest life span of any bird in the world, with some living to the grand old age of 90. They’re also the heaviest, which explains why they go about their business slowly, though they can walk several miles at a time, speeding up when they want to.
They spend their days sleeping on the ground or roosting in trees while at night, they go looking for food, feasting on fruit and vines. When night falls, the call of the kakapo rings out around their island territories. During breeding season, males emit deep “booms,” punctuated by high-pitched “chings,” used to attract females. Incredibly, when he gets into his swing, he can keep up this loud croon for eight hours without rest.
