The kākāpō is the world’s heaviest parrot and a flightless bird of New Zealand’s forest habitats.
Kākāpō are nocturnal, ground-dwelling parrots with moss-green feathers, a rounded body, and a distinctive musty, sweet scent. Unlike most parrots, they cannot fly because their wings are relatively short and their sternum lacks the strong keel needed for powerful flight. They climb trees and glide down using their wings.
The species evolved in New Zealand without native land mammals that hunted birds, but introduced cats, rats, stoats, and other predators caused a severe population collapse. Conservation workers now monitor every surviving bird, often giving individuals names and tracking their breeding closely.
Kākāpō are also unusual because they breed irregularly, mainly when rimu trees produce abundant fruit. The related kākā is another New Zealand forest parrot, but it can fly and is considerably lighter.