Endemic to New Zealand and currently listed as critically endangered, the kakapo is world's only flightless species of which common bird?
"may have put some pressure on other birds but at the time of early European contact (18th Century) and colonisation (19th Century) the bird life was prolific. With them, the Europeans brought ship rats, possums, cats and mustelids which decimated native bird life, some of which had adapted flightlessness and ground nesting habits and others had no defensive behavior as a result of having no extant endemic mammalian predators. The kakapo, the world's biggest parrot, which is flightless, now only exists in managed breeding sanctuaries. New Zealand's national emblem, the kiwi, is on the endangered bird list. There has been"
"the phylogeographical dynamics of this family. The kakapo is a flightless, nocturnal species, well camouflaged to avoid the large diurnal birds of prey on the island, while the local owls are too small to prey on the kakapo at night. The kakapo is the only flightless bird in the world to use a lek-breeding system. Usually, they breed only every 3–5 years when certain podocarp trees like rimu (""Dacrydium cupressinum"") mast abundantly. The kea is well adapted to life at high altitudes, and they are regularly observed in the snow at ski resorts. As trees are absent in the alpine"
"large number of flightless birds, including the kiwi, the weka, the moa (now extinct), and the kakapo. Because of the lack of predators even the bats spend most of their time on the ground. There are also about 60 species of lizard (30 each of gecko and skink), four species of frog (all rare and endangered) and the tuatara (reptiles resembling lizards but with a distinct lineage). Some butterflies of New Zealand are endemic, while many species have been introduced and some species of butterflies periodically migrate to New Zealand. The Australian painted lady has been known to migrate from"
"Kings vine. The forests are home to a number of rare birds including the endangered North Island kokako wattlebird, the North Island brown kiwi, and three endemic parrots red-crowned parakeet, the New Zealand kaka and the kakapo, the last of which now only survives on the offshore Little Barrier Island. Invertebrates found in the region include the large wetas and cave wetas. This fertile area has long been the most populous part of New Zealand and the original kauri forest has mostly been removed. The logging and gum-tapping that caused this has stopped now and much of the remaining kauri"
"Kōkako The kōkako make up two species of endangered forest birds which are endemic to New Zealand, the North Island kōkako (""Callaeas wilsoni"") and the presumably extinct (recently data deficient) South Island kōkako (""Callaeas cinereus""). They are both slate-grey with wattles and have black masks. They belong to a genus containing five known species of New Zealand wattlebird, the other three being two species of tieke (saddleback) and the extinct huia. Previously widespread, kōkako populations throughout New Zealand have been decimated by the predations of mammalian invasive species such as possums, stoats, cats and rats, and their range has contracted"
"pre-Polynesian times, the kakapo was New Zealand's third most common bird and it was widespread on all three main islands. However, the kakapo population in New Zealand has declined massively since human settlement of the country. Since 1891, conservation efforts have been made to prevent extinction. The most successful scheme has been the Kakapo Recovery Programme; this was implemented in 1995 and continues. The first factor in the decline of the kakapo was the arrival of humans. Māori folklore suggests that the kakapo was found throughout the country when the Polynesians first arrived in Aotearoa 700 years ago. Subfossil and"
"the national park. Many native birds can be found within the park, and Rakiura offers perhaps the best opportunity anywhere in New Zealand for viewing kiwi in the wild. This is in part due to the absence of stoats and ferrets. Certain coastal areas of this park are breeding areas for the endangered yellow-eyed penguin. Weka, a flightless and curious bird species, can only be found on offshore islands. In the 1970s, kakapo were found in the Tin Range at a time when it was thought that the species was nearly extinct. The kakapo have been transferred to nearby Codfish"
"isolation, and this has resulted in a dynamic evolutionary ecology with examples of very distinctive plants and animals as well as populations of widespread species. Evergreens such as the giant kauri and southern beech dominate the forests. It also has a diverse range of birds, several of which are flightless such as the kiwi (a national icon), the kakapo, the takahē and the weka, and several species of penguins. Around 30 bird species are currently listed as endangered or critically endangered. Conservationists recognised that threatened bird populations could be saved on offshore islands, where, once predators were exterminated, bird life"
"population, which is only about 170 birds, of the takahe is found in a few mountain valleys in the Fiordland harbor. Along the south-west coast, most of New Zealand’s Fur Seals are found. Also found in this region are Southern Brown Kiwis, Great Spotted Kiwis, Yellow-crowned parakeets, Fiordland Penguins, New Zealand falcons, and the pateke/Fiordland brown teal. The world’s rarest and heaviest parrot, kakapo, was found in this region until the early 1980s. It is now believed that it is extinct on the mainland. The Te Wahipounamu area is the least populated part of New Zealand. Most residents work in"
"self-sustaining populations of some Australian species. Apart from the occasional bird blown in from Australia, all the parrot species naturally occurring in New Zealand are found nowhere else (endemic). There are eight surviving parrot species endemic to New Zealand. The mainland species are the kea (""Nestor notabilis""), the New Zealand kaka (""Nestor meridionalis""), the kākāpō (""Strigops habroptila""), and three species of kākāriki: the yellow-crowned parakeet (""Cyanoramphus auriceps""), the red-crowned parakeet (""Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae"") and the orange-fronted parakeet (""Cyanoramphus malherbi""). The other New Zealand parrot species are the Chatham kaka (""N."" sp.) and Chatham parakeet (""Cyanoramphus forbesi""), from the Chatham Islands, and"
"failure. Only the local postmaster attended the funeral. A male kakapo, captured in Fiordland in 1975, and at that point the only remaining member of the species originating from the South Island, was named ""Richard Henry"" in his memory. This bird was found dead on 24 December 2010. Richard Henry wrote many short articles on natural history for newspapers such as the ""Otago Witness"" and the ""Kaipara and Waitemata Echo"", and for scientific journals such as the ""Transactions of the New Zealand Institute"", as well as letters and reports to his employers when working for the Department of Lands and"
"Callaeidae Callaeidae (sometimes Callaeatidae) is a family of passerine birds endemic to New Zealand. It contains three monotypic genera, with five species in the family. One, the huia, became extinct early in the 20th century, while the South Island kokako is critically endangered and may be extinct. Although sometimes known as ""wattled crows"", they are not corvids and are only distantly related to crows - ""New Zealand wattlebirds"" is the informal name for this family used by the scientific community. They are ground-dwelling songbirds, 26–38 cm in length. They inhabit dense forests, where they feed on insects. They have strong"
"areas of Fiordland. Kakapo seem to have preferred broadleaf or mountain beech and Hall's tōtara forest with mild winters and high rainfall, but the species was not exclusively forest-dwelling. All kakapo that were transferred to predator-free islands in the last decades have adapted well to any changes in environment and food plants. It seems that the kakapo – like many of New Zealand's bird species – has evolved to occupy an ecological niche normally filled by various species of mammal (the only non-marine mammals native to New Zealand are ). The kakapo is primarily nocturnal; it roosts under cover in"
"Though there are still large woodland areas in eastern North America, which support a variety of wildlife, it was not enough to support the vast number of passenger pigeons needed to sustain the population. In contrast, very small populations of nearly extinct birds, such as the kakapo (""Strigops habroptilus"") and the takahe (""Porphyrio hochstetteri""), have been enough to keep those species extant to the present. The combined effects of intense hunting and deforestation has been referred to as a ""Blitzkrieg"" against the passenger pigeon, and it has been labeled one of the greatest and most senseless human-induced extinctions in history."
"than females. Twenty-eight males were found to average in one study, and 39 males were found to average in another. In the same studies, 28 females were found to average and 18 females were found to average , respectively. Kakapo are the heaviest living species of parrot and on average weigh about more than the largest flying parrot, the hyacinth macaw. The kakapo cannot fly, having relatively short wings for its size and lacking the keel on the sternum (breastbone), where the flight muscles of other birds attach. It uses its wings for balance and to break its fall when"
"flying bird. According to the IUCN categorization as VU D1, fewer than 1000 adult birds remain. The species has recently been upgraded to endangered by Birdlife International (Birdlife 2007), and the change will be reflected in the next update of the IUCN red list. http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/9396503/South-Island-duck-extinct Brown teal The brown teal (""Anas chlorotis"") is a species of dabbling duck of the genus ""Anas"" native to New Zealand. The Māori name for it is pāteke. For many years it had been considered to be conspecific with the flightless Auckland and Campbell teals in ""Anas aucklandica""; the name ""brown teal"" has also been"
"the moa, another huge creature that is now gone. The takahe is extremely rare, and high in the mountains of New Zealand, Attenborough discovers one from a population of only 40 pairs. Finally, another example on the brink of extinction is the kakapo, which at one point numbered only 61 individuals. A male is heard calling — an immensely amplified deep note that can be heard at great distances from its nest. Broadcast 28 October 1998, the second programme deals with the mechanics of flight. Getting into the air is by far the most exhausting of a bird's activities, and"
"more species of flightless birds (including the kiwi, several species of penguins, the takahe, the weka, the moa, and several other extinct species) than any other such location. One reason is that until the arrival of humans roughly a thousand years ago, there were no large land predators in New Zealand; the main predators of flightless birds were larger birds. Ratites belong to the superorder Palaeognathae birds, which include the volant tinamou, and are believed to have evolved flightlessness independently multiple times within their own group. Some birds evolved flightlessness in response to the absence of predators, for example on"
"Black stilt The black stilt or kakī (Māori), ""Himantopus novaezelandiae"", is found only in New Zealand, and is one of the world's rarest wading birds, with 132 adults surviving in the wild. Adult kakī have distinctive black plumage, very long red legs, and a long thin black bill. Black stilts currently breed only in the Mackenzie Basin in the South Island, and are threatened by introduced feral cats and ferrets, as well as habitat degradation from hydroelectric dams, agriculture, and invasive weeds. Black stilts are one of several species in the genus ""Himantopus"", classified along with avocets in the family"
"released in New Zealand to reduce rabbit numbers, but they also preyed heavily on many native species including the kakapo. Other browsing animals, such as introduced deer, competed with the kakapo for food, and caused the extinction of some of its preferred plant species. The kakapo was reportedly still present near the head of the Whanganui River as late as 1894, with one of the last records of a kakapo in the North Island being a single bird caught in the Kaimanawa Ranges by Te Kepa Puawheawhe in 1895. In 1891, the New Zealand government set aside Resolution Island in"
"have a polygynous lek breeding system. It is also possibly one of the world's longest-living birds. Its anatomy typifies the tendency of bird evolution on oceanic islands, with few predators and abundant food: a generally robust physique at the expense of flight abilities, resulting in reduced wing muscles and a diminished keel on the sternum. Like many other New Zealand bird species, the kakapo was historically important to Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, appearing in many of their traditional legends and folklore; however it was also heavily hunted and used as a resource by Māori, both for its"
"to refer to the ""kākā"" in the ""tauparapara"", the incantation to begin their ""mihi"" (tribute), because their voice (""reo"") is continuous. Of the five species, the Norfolk kaka and Chatham kaka became extinct in recent history. The last known Norfolk kaka died in captivity in London sometime after 1851, and only between seven and 20 skins survive. The Chatham kaka became extinct between 1550 and 1700 in pre-European times, after Polynesians arrived at the island, and is only known from subfossil bones. Of the surviving species, the kakapo is critically endangered, with only living individuals. The mainland New Zealand kaka"
"Eastern ground parrot The eastern ground parrot (""Pezoporus wallicus"") of Australia is one of only five ground-dwelling parrots in the world, the others being its closest relatives, the western ground parrot (""Pezoporus flaviventris""), the extremely rare night parrot (""Pezoporus occidentalis""), the somewhat closely related Antipodes parakeet (""Cyanoramphus unicolor""), and the unrelated highly endangered kakapo (""Strigops habroptila"") from New Zealand. The colouration of the three ""Pezoporus"" species and the kakapo is similar – yellowish green with darker barring, somewhat reminiscent of the head and back of the wild-type budgerigar. This is not an indication of a true relationship, however, but either"
"Kagu The kagu or cagou (""Rhynochetos jubatus"") is a crested, long-legged, and bluish-grey bird endemic to the dense mountain forests of New Caledonia. It is the only surviving member of the genus Rhynochetos and the family Rhynochetidae, although a second species has been described from the fossil record. Measuring in length, it has pale grey plumage and bright red legs. Its 'nasal corns' are a unique feature not shared with any other bird. Almost flightless, it spends its time on or near the ground, where it hunts its invertebrate prey, and builds a nest of sticks on the forest floor."
"kakapo has a very small gizzard compared to other birds of their size. It is entirely herbivorous, eating native plants, seeds, fruits, pollen and even the sapwood of trees. A study in 1984 identified 25 plant species as kakapo food. It is particularly fond of the fruit of the rimu tree, and will feed on it exclusively during seasons when it is abundant. The kakapo strips out the nutritious parts of the plant out with its beak, leaving a ball of indigestible fibre. These little clumps of plant fibres are a distinctive sign of the presence of the bird. The"
"probably an onomatopoeic representation of their in-flight call – ‘keee aaa’. The term ""kea"" is both singular and plural. The genus ""Nestor"" contains four species: the New Zealand kaka (""Nestor meridionalis""), the kea (""N. notabilis""), the extinct Norfolk kaka (""N. productus""), and the extinct Chatham kaka (""N. chathamensis""). All four are thought to stem from a ""proto-kākā"", dwelling in the forests of New Zealand five million years ago. Their closest relative is the flightless kakapo (""Strigops habroptilus""). Together, they form the parrot superfamily Strigopoidea, an ancient group that split off from all other Psittacidae before their radiation. A gathering or"
"the birds harmonise their calls to defend their territory is claimed to be the first example of vocal coordination in birds. During his study, Digby used sound recorders and video cameras to track incubation. Unexpectedly, one breeding pair that produced two chicks were found to be the Little Spotted Kiwi, the smallest kiwi and very vulnerable. Kakapo Recovery is a project of the New Zealand Department of Conservation utilising the skills of scientists, rangers and volunteers to protect and boost the numbers of the endangered Kakapo, a flightless parrot. From only 18 individuals in the 1970s, the projects breeding and"
"bats and no native amphibians. The vertebrates are dominated by reptiles and birds. Today the island has 21 endemic species of birds, including one endemic family, the Rhynochetidae, represented by one living species, the kagu. The island is also home to the unusual tool-using New Caledonian crow. The separation of the Gondwana islands before the mammalian expansion that allowed the radiation of flightless birds (moa, kiwi, sylviornis, cagous) and Mesozoic reptilian forms such as the tuatara of New Zealand. Endemic species comprise 62 of 69 total. No crocodiles or terrestrial turtles remain on the islands. Two species of snake are"
"significantly. In the past this bird was called the New Zealand crow: it is not a crow at all, but it looks like one from a distance. The spelling ""kokako"" (without a macron) is common in New Zealand English. The kōkako appears to be a remnant of an early expansion of passerines in New Zealand and is one of five species of New Zealand wattlebirds of the family Callaeidae, the others being 2 species of endangered tieke, or saddleback, and the extinct huia. New Zealand wattlebirds have no close relatives apart from the stitchbird, and their taxonomic relationships to other"
"New Zealand. They are the largest snails in the world, growing up to 90 mm across. They are carnivorous and prey upon earthworms. The western weka is the most common of the weka sub-species however it is still classed as vulnerable. It is a large flightless bird and had been introduced to offshore islands, which was unsuccessful because of predatory impacts on other native fauna The kea is a vulnerable bird species found all along the west coast of the New Zealand South Island and is the world’s only alpine parrot. Because they nest on the ground, predators attack a"
"metabolic demands in comparison to flighted birds. It is able to survive easily on very little or on very low quality food sources. Unlike most other bird species, the kakapo is entirely herbivorous, feeding on fruits, seeds, leaves, stems, and rhizomes. When foraging, kakapo tend to leave crescent-shaped wads of fiber in the vegetation behind them, called ""browse signs"". Having lost the ability to fly, it has developed strong legs. Locomotion is often by way of a rapid ""jog-like"" gait by which it can move several kilometres. A female has been observed making two return trips each night during nesting"
"New Zealand Air Force's aerobatic team is called the Black Falcons. The proverb ""Me te kopae kārearea"" or ""like the nest of kārearea"" means 'rarely seen.' New Zealand falcon The New Zealand falcon or kārearea in Māori (""Falco novaeseelandiae"") is New Zealand's only falcon. Other common names for the bird are bush hawk and sparrow hawk. It is frequently mistaken for the larger and more common swamp harrier. It is the country’s most threatened bird of prey, with only around 3000–5000 breeding pairs remaining. A member of the bird family Falconidae, the New Zealand falcon is mainly found in heavy"
"harvesting program managed by Rakiura Māori. Meanwhile, a small population of the kakapo, a flightless parrot which is very close to extinction, was found on Stewart Island in 1977 and the birds subsequently moved to smaller islands (Codfish Island) for protection from feral cats. The South Island saddleback is similarly preserved. As the island has always been sparsely populated and there has never been very much logging, much of the original wildlife is intact, including species that have been devastated on the larger islands to the north since their habitation by humans. However, although habitats and wildlife were not threatened"