The flightless nocturnal parrot from New Zealand that is the world’s heaviest parrot is the kākāpō, also known as the owl-parrot. Its scientific name is Strigops habroptilus, and it is endemic to New Zealand.
Unlike most parrots, the kākāpō cannot fly. It has short wings, reduced flight muscles, and a breastbone with a diminished keel, the structure where powerful flight muscles normally attach. It can still climb trees and use its wings for balance or to parachute down. Its moss-green plumage provides camouflage, while nocturnal activity helped it avoid some daytime aerial predators.
Kākāpō are herbivores that eat leaves, seeds, stems, roots, and fruit. Males gather in traditional display areas called leks and produce deep booming calls to attract females. The species was devastated by introduced mammalian predators and is critically endangered. Conservation workers now manage named, monitored birds on predator-free islands and protected mainland sites.