“You are being fornicated by a rare bird!” Discover the fascinating and increasingly rare kākāpo.

With a weight similar to that of a domestic cat and “mossy” green plumage that camouflages it, a peculiar bird prefers to walk and climb trees rather than take flight. No, it’s not pointless: in fact, it is today a symbol of New Zealand’s evolutionary uniqueness.

O kakapo is a nocturnal parrot and unable to fly, it is today one of the most extraordinary — and most fragile — cases of nature conservation. You may know him from the series Last Chance to See, in which a male named Sirocco tried to mate with the presenter’s head.

The episode even helped not only to establish the eccentric character of this parrot in the popular imagination, but also to actually draw attention to its critical situation.

The kākāpo is considered unique among parrots for several reasons, explains: it is the heaviest of the group, it is completely terrestrial and it is also the only one that uses a “lek” type reproduction systemin which males display themselves in courtship areas and emit serious sounds, a deep “boom”, to attract females. Almost like Passinho do Volante says.

Considered extinct for decades in much of the territory, the kākāpo was rediscovered in a population on Stewart Island in 1977, threatened by wild cats.

The curious parrot measures around 58 to 64 centimeters and is estimated to live between 60 and an impressive 90 years. Males weigh between 2 and 4 kg and females between 1 and 2.5 kg. The historical absence of land mammals in New Zealand may have contributed to the species losing its ability to fly and gaining body mass.

Keeps wings, but uses them mainly for balance; some lighter females can glide short distances. On the ground, he stands out as an excellent walker and climber, covering several kilometers and climbing trees with ease.

A herbivore, the kākāpo feeds on fruits, seeds, leaves, flowers, bulbs and bark. Playback is slow: It only starts after the age of five, and often even later. It does not reproduce annually, but rather every two to four years, in years of intense fruiting of rimu trees. Females raise their young alonelaying between one and five eggs, although generally only one chick can fly from the nest per season.

Despite signs of recovery, the situation is still delicate: there are less than 250 kākāpos in the world and the species is classified as “Critically Endangered” on the IUCN Red List.

“You are being fornicated by a rare bird!” Discover the fascinating and increasingly rare kākāpo.

With a weight similar to that of a domestic cat and “mossy” green plumage that camouflages it, a peculiar bird prefers to walk and climb trees rather than take flight. No, it’s not pointless: in fact, it is today a symbol of New Zealand’s evolutionary uniqueness.

O kakapo is a nocturnal parrot and unable to fly, it is today one of the most extraordinary — and most fragile — cases of nature conservation. You may know him from the series Last Chance to See, in which a male named Sirocco tried to mate with the presenter’s head.

The episode even helped not only to establish the eccentric character of this parrot in the popular imagination, but also to actually draw attention to its critical situation.

The kākāpo is considered unique among parrots for several reasons, explains: it is the heaviest of the group, it is completely terrestrial and it is also the only one that uses a “lek” type reproduction systemin which males display themselves in courtship areas and emit serious sounds, a deep “boom”, to attract females. Almost like Passinho do Volante says.

Considered extinct for decades in much of the territory, the kākāpo was rediscovered in a population on Stewart Island in 1977, threatened by wild cats.

The curious parrot measures around 58 to 64 centimeters and is estimated to live between 60 and an impressive 90 years. Males weigh between 2 and 4 kg and females between 1 and 2.5 kg. The historical absence of land mammals in New Zealand may have contributed to the species losing its ability to fly and gaining body mass.

Keeps wings, but uses them mainly for balance; some lighter females can glide short distances. On the ground, he stands out as an excellent walker and climber, covering several kilometers and climbing trees with ease.

A herbivore, the kākāpo feeds on fruits, seeds, leaves, flowers, bulbs and bark. Playback is slow: It only starts after the age of five, and often even later. It does not reproduce annually, but rather every two to four years, in years of intense fruiting of rimu trees. Females raise their young alonelaying between one and five eggs, although generally only one chick can fly from the nest per season.

Despite signs of recovery, the situation is still delicate: there are less than 250 kākāpos in the world and the species is classified as “Critically Endangered” on the IUCN Red List.