Interesting Facts about Kakapos

Kakapos are very unusual animals. They are the only ground living parrot, and they live on four little islands around New Zealand. The islands are called the North and South Stewart, the Codfish, and the Chalky. When people first came to the islands they hunted the Kakapos near death. There has been a surge in the population around 2012, but they are still considered critically endangered. Kakapos don’t fly, they can’t. Since they can’t fly they come out at night to eat. They are mossy green with yellow and very chubby. As a matter of they are the heaviest parrot at 4 to 9 lbs.

Did you know?

The only parrot to have a “lek mating system.” A lek mating system means the males will have a contest to impress females.

Only breeds once every 2 to 5 years.

Sometimes called “The Owl Parrot” because of its face looks like an owl.

Produce 2-3 eggs per nest.

Males dig holes to make their calls louder for females.

Activity: The mating habits of Kakapo are a great chance to show your students how sound is amplified. For younger students create color sheets with a Kakapo drawing.