The kākāpō (Māori: [ˈkaːkaːpɔː]; plural: kākāpō; scientific name: Strigops habroptilus), also called the owl-parrot, is a large, nocturnal parrot that lives on the ground. It belongs to the superfamily Strigopoidea and is found only in New Zealand.

Kākāpō can grow up to 64 centimeters (25 inches) long. They have unique features among parrots, including yellow-green feathers with dark spots, a round facial area, eyes that face forward like an owl’s, a large grey beak, short legs, large blue feet, short wings, and a short tail. This bird is the only parrot that cannot fly, the heaviest parrot in the world, and is active at night. It eats plants, has visible differences in size between males and females, has a slow metabolism, and males do not care for their young. It is the only parrot that uses a breeding system where males gather to attract females. Some kākāpō may live up to 100 years. Adult males weigh about 1.5 to 3 kilograms (3.3 to 6.6 pounds), while adult females weigh about 0.95 to 1.6 kilograms (2.09 to 3.53 pounds).

The body structure of the kākāpō shows how birds on islands evolve. With few predators and plenty of food, kākāpō developed strong bodies but lost the ability to fly. This includes weaker wing muscles and a smaller breastbone. Like many New Zealand birds, the kākāpō was important to the Māori, the original people of New Zealand. It appears in Māori stories and was hunted for its meat and feathers in the past.

The kākāpō is critically endangered, with only 235 living individuals known as of 2026. These birds are named, tracked, and live on four small, predator-free islands in New Zealand. In 2023, some kākāpō were moved back to the mainland to a protected area called Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari. Mammals like cats, rats, ferrets, and stoats nearly caused the kākāpō to disappear. Conservation efforts began in 1995 with the Kākāpō Recovery Programme, which helped save the species.

Taxonomy

The kākāpō was officially described and illustrated in 1845 by the English ornithologist George Robert Gray. He created a new group and gave the bird the scientific name Strigops habroptilus. Gray was unsure where his specimen came from and wrote, "This remarkable bird is found in one of the islands of the South Pacific Ocean." The specific location for the specimen is now known as Dusky Sound on the southwest part of New Zealand's South Island. The genus name Strigops comes from the Ancient Greek words strix (meaning "owl") and ops (meaning "face"). The species name habroptilus is from habros ("soft") and ptilon ("feather").

In 1955, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) decided that the genus name Strigops is feminine. Because of this, many scientists used Strigops habroptila. However, in 2023, James L. Savage and Andrew Digby argued that current ICZN rules support habroptilus as the correct spelling. This view was accepted, and in 2024, the International Ornithological Congress Checklist and the eBird/Clements Checklist changed the name back to Strigops habroptilus. The species has only one type, as no subspecies are recognized.

The name kākāpō comes from the Māori language, combining kākā ("parrot") and pō ("night"). The name is used for both one bird and multiple birds. In New Zealand English, the name is often written with macrons to show long vowels, as in kākāpō. The correct Māori pronunciation is [kaːkaːpɔː]. Other ways to say it exist, such as the British English /ˈkɑːkəpoʊ/ (KAH-kə-poh), as noted in the Chambers Dictionary in 2003.

The kākāpō belongs to the family Strigopidae, which also includes the two species in the genus Nestor: the kea (Nestor notabilis) and the kākā (Nestor meridionalis). These birds are found only in New Zealand. Studies using DNA have shown that the family Strigopidae is the oldest group among parrot families in the order Psittaciformes and separated from other parrot families 33 to 44 million years ago. The common ancestor of the kākāpō and the two Nestor species separated 27 to 40 million years ago.

Earlier scientists thought the kākāpō might be related to ground parrots and the night parrot in Australia because of their similar colors. However, DNA studies show this is not true. Instead, the bird's camouflage color likely evolved independently in two different groups of birds.

Description

The kākāpō is a large, round parrot. Adult kākāpō measure between 58 and 64 cm (23 to 25 in) in length and have a wingspan of 82 cm (32 in). Males are much heavier than females, averaging 2 kg (4.4 lb) compared to 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) for females. Kākāpō are the heaviest living parrot species and typically weigh about 400 g (14 oz) more than the largest flying parrot, the hyacinth macaw.

Kākāpō cannot fly because they have short wings for their size and lack a keel on the sternum (breastbone), where flight muscles attach in other birds. They use their wings to balance and slow their fall when jumping from trees. Lighter females can glide short distances between tree gaps. Unlike many land birds, kākāpō can store large amounts of body fat.

The upper body of the kākāpō has yellowish moss-green feathers with black or dark brownish-gray markings, helping them blend with their environment. Feather color and patterns vary widely, and some museum specimens show completely yellow coloring. The chest and sides are yellowish-green with yellow streaks. The belly, under-tail, neck, and face are mostly yellow with pale green streaks and faint brownish-gray mottling. Since their feathers do not need strength for flight, they are very soft, which is why the species is called habroptila (meaning "soft feathers"). The kākāpō has a round, owl-like facial disc made of fine feathers, which is why early European settlers called it the "owl parrot." The beak is surrounded by delicate feathers resembling whiskers, though there is no evidence they are used for sensing the ground. The beak’s upper part is often bluish-gray, and the eyes are dark brown. Kākāpō feet are large, scaly, and zygodactyl (two toes face forward and two backward), with strong claws useful for climbing. The tips of tail feathers often wear down from dragging on the ground.

Females can be distinguished from males by their narrower, less rounded head, longer, narrower beak, smaller cere and nostrils, slimmer and pinkish-gray legs, and longer tails. While their feather color is similar to males, females have less yellow and mottling. Nesting females have a patch of bare skin on their belly.

Kākāpō young are born with grayish-white downy feathers, revealing pink skin underneath. They grow full feathers by about 70 days old. Juveniles have duller green coloring, more uniform black markings, and less yellow in their feathers. They also have shorter tails, wings, and beaks, and a ring of short feathers around their eyes resembling eyelashes.

Like other parrots, kākāpō make a variety of sounds. They produce booms and chings during mating calls and often call loudly with a "skraark" sound.

Kākāpō have a strong sense of smell, which helps them find food at night. This ability is rare among parrots. Their olfactory bulb (a brain part related to smell) is larger relative to their brain size than in other parrots. Kākāpō also have a distinct musty-sweet odor, which can alert predators to their presence.

As nocturnal birds, kākāpō have brain structures adapted for living in darkness. Their optic tectum, nucleus rotundus, and entopallium are smaller compared to diurnal parrots. Their retinas share traits with both nocturnal and diurnal birds, allowing them to see well in low light but with poor visual clarity.

Habitat

Before humans arrived in New Zealand, the kākāpō lived across both main islands. While it may have lived on Stewart Island before humans arrived, no fossils of the kākāpō have been found there. The kākāpō lived in many different environments, such as grasslands with tall grasses, areas with shrubs, and coastal regions. It also lived in forests with trees like rimu, mataī, kahikatea, tōtara, beeches, tawa, and rātā. In Fiordland, areas covered by fallen rocks and soil, where plants like five finger, wineberry, bush lawyer, tutu, hebes, and coprosmas grew, were called "kākāpō gardens" because the birds thrived there.

The kākāpō is described as a "habitat generalist," meaning it could live in many types of environments. Today, it only lives on islands without predators, but in the past, it could survive in nearly all climates found on New Zealand’s islands. It lived through hot, dry summers on the North Island and cold winters in Fiordland’s mountainous areas. The kākāpō often preferred forests with broadleaf trees, mountain beech, and Hall’s tōtara, which had mild winters and plenty of rain. However, it did not only live in forests.

Ecology and behaviour

The kākāpō is mainly active at night. It sleeps in trees or on the ground during the day and moves around its area at night.

Although the kākāpō cannot fly, it is a strong climber and can climb to the tops of tall trees. It often uses its wings to balance while climbing. The kākāpō can also "parachute" by jumping and spreading its wings. This allows it to glide short distances downward at a steep angle of less than 45 degrees. Lighter females can glide across gaps that are 3–4 meters wide.

The kākāpō has very little chest muscle—only 3.3% of its body weight. This explains why it cannot use its wings to lift its body off the ground. Because it cannot fly, it needs very little energy compared to birds that can fly. It can survive on small amounts of food or low-quality food sources. Unlike most birds, the kākāpō eats only plants, such as fruits, seeds, leaves, stems, and rhizomes. When it searches for food, it often leaves crescent-shaped bundles of plant fibers behind, called "browse signs."

The kākāpō has strong legs because it cannot fly. It moves by running in a fast, "jog-like" way and can travel several kilometers. A female has been seen making two trips each night during nesting to a food source up to 1 kilometer away. A male may walk up to 5 kilometers to a mating area during the mating season (October–January).

Young kākāpō often play by fighting, with one bird holding another under its chin. The kākāpō is naturally curious and sometimes interacts with humans. Conservation workers have spent time with some kākāpō, which have unique personalities. However, kākāpō are usually alone and do not live together.

Before humans arrived in New Zealand, the kākāpō was a successful species and avoided birds of prey, which were its only predators. These included the New Zealand falcon, Haast’s eagle, and Eyles’ harrier. These birds hunted during the day, so the kākāpō evolved camouflaged feathers and became active at night. When threatened, the kākāpō freezes to blend into its surroundings. However, at night, the laughing owl hunted the kākāpō, and evidence from owl nests shows that kākāpō were among their prey.

The kākāpō’s defenses were not helpful against mammals introduced by humans, such as dogs, cats, and mustelids. Birds hunt during the day using sight, while mammals often hunt at night using smell and hearing. Humans sometimes used trained dogs to hunt kākāpō. The kākāpō’s adaptations to avoid birds did not help it survive these new predators, leading to its population decline.

— Frederick Hutton, The Animals of New Zealand (1912)

The kākāpō is the only flightless bird that uses a lek breeding system. During mating season, males gather in an open area and compete to attract females. Females listen to the males’ displays and choose a mate based on the quality of their performance. Males and females do not form long-term bonds and meet only to mate.

Before breeding, males leave their usual areas to find hilltops or ridges where they create mating courts. These courts can be up to 5 kilometers from their usual territory and are spaced about 50 meters apart. Males stay near their courts during the breeding season. At the start of the season, males fight to claim the best courts. They confront each other by raising feathers, spreading wings, opening beaks, and making loud noises. These fights can cause injuries or even death.

Kākāpō mate every two to four years, depending on the availability of rimu fruit. During mating years, males make loud, low-frequency "booming" calls for 6–8 hours each night for over four months.

Each male creates one or more saucer-shaped depressions, or "bowls," in the ground. These bowls are up to 10 centimeters deep and long enough to fit the bird’s body. Males often build bowls near rocks, hills, or trees to help amplify their calls. The bowls and nearby trails are carefully cleaned.

To attract females, males make booming calls by inflating a chest sac. They start with low grunts and gradually increase the volume until they produce a loud, low-frequency sound. After about 20 booms, they make a high-pitched "ching" sound. These calls can be heard up to 1 kilometer away on a still night and can travel farther with wind.

Females are drawn to the booming calls and may walk several kilometers to reach the mating area. Once a female enters a male’s court, the male performs a display by rocking side to side and making clicking noises with its beak. It turns its back to the female, spreads its wings, and walks backward toward her. The male then attempts to mate for 40 minutes or more. After mating, the female returns to her home area to lay eggs and care for the chicks. The male continues booming to attract other females.

A female kākāpō lays 1–4 eggs in a nesting area, with several days between each egg. The nest is placed on the ground under plants or in hollow tree trunks. The female begins incubating the eggs after the first egg is laid but must leave the nest each night to find food. Eggs may be eaten by predators or may die from cold if the mother is away too long. Kākāpō eggs hatch after about 30 days, producing fluffy, gray chicks that are helpless. The mother feeds the chicks for three months, and the chicks stay with her for some time after they learn to fly. Chicks are vulnerable to predators, just like eggs. They leave the nest at about 10 to 12 weeks of age. Mothers may feed them occasionally for up to three months as they grow more independent.

The kākāpō lives a long life, with an average lifespan of 60 years (plus or minus 20 years). Males begin making booming calls at about 5 years old. It was once believed that females reach sexual maturity at 9 years old, but some females have reproduced at 5 years old. The kākāpō does not breed every year and has one of the lowest reproduction rates among birds. Breeding occurs only when certain trees, like the rimu, produce large amounts of fruit. Rimu trees produce fruit every three to five years, so breeding happens infrequently in areas where rimu trees are common.

Conservation

Fossils show that before Polynesians arrived in New Zealand, the kākāpō was one of the most common birds in the country and lived on all three main islands. However, the number of kākāpō has dropped greatly since humans settled in New Zealand. The Department of Conservation ranks the kākāpō as "Nationally Critical" because it is at high risk of extinction. Since the 1890s, people have tried to protect the kākāpō from disappearing. The most successful effort is the Kākāpō Recovery Programme, which started in 1995 and continues today. The kākāpō is fully protected by New Zealand’s Wildlife Act 1953. It is also listed in Appendix I of CITES, which means international trade of the bird or its parts is strictly controlled.

The first major reason for the kākāpō’s decline was the arrival of humans. Māori stories say that when Polynesians first came to New Zealand 700 years ago, the kākāpō lived everywhere. Evidence from ancient remains and trash piles shows the bird was found on the North, South, and Stewart Islands during early Māori times. Māori hunted the kākāpō for food and used its feathers and skin to make cloaks. The kākāpō’s inability to fly, strong smell, and habit of freezing when threatened made it easy prey for Māori and their dogs. Māori also brought Polynesian rats, which ate kākāpō eggs and chicks. Clearing forests for farming reduced the kākāpō’s habitat. By the time Europeans arrived, the kākāpō was already gone from many areas, but still lived in parts of the North and South Islands.

Kākāpō numbers dropped further after European settlers arrived in the 1840s. Settlers cleared large areas of land for farming, which destroyed more kākāpō habitat. They also brought new predators like dogs, cats, rats, and stoats. Europeans learned about the kākāpō in 1845 when a scientist described it from a skin. Early explorers and their dogs hunted the bird, and by the late 1800s, people began capturing kākāpō for zoos, museums, and collectors. Many of these birds died within months. Collectors knew the population was shrinking and tried to collect as many as possible before the bird disappeared.

In the 1880s, stoats, ferrets, and weasels were released in New Zealand to control rabbits, but they also hunted native birds like the kākāpō. Introduced animals like deer competed with the kākāpō for food and caused some plant species to go extinct. The kākāpō was still found near the Whanganui River as late as 1894, and one bird was caught in the Kaimanawa Ranges in 1895.

In 1891, the New Zealand government created Resolution Island as a nature reserve. Richard Henry, a naturalist, moved over 200 kākāpō to the island to protect them from predators. However, stoats swam to the island and wiped out the kākāpō population within six years. In 1903, three kākāpō were moved to Little Barrier Island, but feral cats killed them. In 1912, three kākāpō were moved to Kapiti Island, and one survived until 1936.

By the 1920s, the kākāpō was gone from the North Island, and its numbers in the South Island were falling. Fiordland became its last refuge. Hunters and workers saw or heard the bird in Fiordland during the 1930s, but by the 1940s, sightings were rare.

In the 1950s, the New Zealand Wildlife Service began searching for kākāpō in Fiordland and Kahurangi National Park. Expeditions found only a few signs of the bird. In 1958, one kākāpō was caught in Fiordland and released. Six more were captured in 1961, but most died quickly. By the 1970s, scientists were unsure if the kākāpō still existed. In 1974, scientists found several male kākāpō and observed their unique breeding behavior. Between 1974 and 1978, 18 kākāpō were found, but all were males. This raised fears the species might go extinct.

In 1977, kākāpō were found on Stewart Island, with an estimated 100 to 200 birds. However, feral cats killed 56% of the kākāpō each year. In 1982, cat control was introduced, and the population was moved to predator-free islands to ensure survival.

In the 1980s, kākāpō were relocated to islands without predators to protect their genes, prevent disease, and reduce inbreeding. In 1989, a recovery plan was created, and the Kākāpō Recovery Programme began in 1995. The Department of Conservation now manages the program.

Population timeline

• 1977: Kākāpō were found again on Stewart Island.
• 1989: Most kākāpō were moved from Rakiura to Whenua Hou and Hauturu-O-Toi.
• 1995: There were 51 kākāpō in the population. This was the start of the Kakapo Recovery Programme.
• 1999: Kākāpō were moved from Hauturu.
• 2002: A successful breeding season resulted in 24 chicks being born.
• 2005: There were 41 females and 45 males, including four fledglings (3 females and 1 male). Kākāpō were established on Anchor Island.
• 2009: The total kākāpō population reached over 100 for the first time since monitoring began. Twenty-two of the 34 chicks needed to be hand-reared because there was not enough food on Codfish Island.
• December 2010: The oldest known kākāpō, "Richard Henry," died. He may have been 80 years old.
• 2012: Seven kākāpō were moved to Hauturu to try to create a successful breeding programme. Kākāpō had not been on the island since 1999.
• March 2014: The kākāpō population had grown to 126. An artist used the bird’s recovery as a metaphor for the recovery of Christchurch, comparing the "indomitable spirit" of both communities and their determination to rebuild.
• 2016: The first breeding occurred on Anchor Island. A successful breeding season produced 32 chicks. The kākāpō population grew to over 150.
• 2018: After three birds died, the population decreased to 149.
• 2019: An abundance of rimu fruit and new technologies, including artificial insemination and "smart eggs," led to the best breeding season on record. Over 200 eggs were laid, and 72 chicks fledged. This was the earliest and longest breeding season yet. The population reached 200 juvenile or older birds on 17 August 2019.
• 2022: The population increased to 252 after a productive breeding season and successful artificial insemination.
• 2023: Kākāpō were reintroduced to the mainland for the first time.
• 2024: As of September 2024, the population had slightly declined to 243 individuals.

In Māori culture

The kākāpō is connected to stories and beliefs in Māori culture. The bird’s unusual breeding pattern was linked to times when certain plants, like the rimu tree, produced large amounts of fruit, called "masting." Māori believed the bird could predict these events. Evidence for this belief included observations of kākāpō dropping berries from hinau and tawa trees into pools of water during their seasons to store them for later use. This practice became the basis of a Māori tradition of preserving food in water.

Māori considered the meat of the kākāpō a special food. When the bird was common, they hunted it for eating. One description said the meat tastes and feels like lamb, though European settlers described it as having a strong and slightly bitter flavor.

During breeding seasons, the loud calls of male kākāpō made it easier for Māori hunters to find them. The birds were also hunted while eating or resting in dry weather. Hunters often caught them at night using traps, snares, or dogs that accompanied hunting groups. Sometimes, they used fire sticks to confuse the birds in the dark, making capture easier. The meat was cooked in a hāngī (a traditional cooking method) or in gourds of boiling oil. To store the meat for later, it was preserved in its own fat and placed in containers made from tōtara bark or kelp. Feathers from the kākāpō’s tail were tied to these containers for decoration and to show what was inside. Māori also ate the bird’s eggs.

In addition to eating the meat, Māori used kākāpō skins and feathers to make cloaks and capes. Each garment required up to 11,000 feathers. These items were valued for their beauty and warmth and were considered taonga (treasures). A saying in Māori culture stated, "You have a kākāpō cape and still complain of the cold," meaning someone who is never satisfied. Only one complete cloak made from kākāpō feathers is known to exist. It was made in the 1810s–1820s and is now in the Perth Museum in Scotland. The museum, along with the British Museum and Māori advisers, has restored the cloak. Kākāpō feathers were also used to decorate the heads of taiaha (a type of weapon), but they were removed before combat.

Despite being hunted, the kākāpō was also seen as a friendly pet by Māori. European settlers, like George Edward Grey in the 19th century, noted that the bird behaved more like a dog than a bird, showing affection toward people.

In the media

The conservation of the kākāpō has made the species well known. Many books and documentaries about the kākāpō's struggle have been created in recent years. One of the earliest was Two in the Bush, made by Gerald Durrell for the BBC in 1962.

A long documentary, The Unnatural History of the Kakapo, won two major awards at the Reel Earth Environmental Film Festival. Two important documentaries, both made by NHNZ, are Kakapo – Night Parrot (1982) and To Save the Kakapo (1997).

The BBC's Natural History Unit included the kākāpō in its programming, such as a segment with Sir David Attenborough in The Life of Birds. The kākāpō was one of the endangered animals Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine searched for in the radio series and book Last Chance to See. An updated version of the series was made for BBC TV, where Stephen Fry and Carwardine revisited the animals to check on their progress nearly 20 years later. In January 2009, they filmed the kākāpō on Codfish Island / Whenua Hou. A clip of a kākāpō named Sirocco trying to mate with Carwardine's head was seen by millions worldwide. This led to Sirocco becoming "spokes-bird" for New Zealand wildlife conservation in 2010. Sirocco inspired the party parrot, a popular animated emoji linked to the workflow application Slack.

The kākāpō appeared in the episode "Strange Islands" of the documentary series South Pacific, which aired on 13 June 2009. It also appeared in the episode "Worlds Apart" of The Living Planet and in episode 3 of the BBC's New Zealand Earth's Mythical Islands.

In 2019, the Kākāpō Recovery Programme, with New Zealand National Partner Meridian Energy, launched a "Search for a Saxophonist" to find music that could help encourage mating during the kākāpō breeding season. The search and footage from the islands were shown on the Breakfast programme. The kākāpō was also featured in the mobile game Kākāpō Run, developed by a UK conservation charity. The game aimed to support kākāpō conservation by engaging players in fun, educational activities. A study found that playing the game helped increase positive attitudes and actions related to kākāpō protection, such as support for managing invasive predators and responsible pet care, though it did not lead to more donations.

The kākāpō was voted New Zealand's bird of the year in 2008 and 2020.