Size:

Kakapo are the world's heaviest species of parrot and can weigh over 4 kilograms (9 pounds)! They average 2Kg (4-5lbs) and typically reach about 24 inches tall.

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Age:

They can live for an incredible 90 years or more, with most reaching at least 60 years of age.

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Diet:

Kakpo are strict herbivores and eat only plant matter. They feed almost solely on Rimu berries during fruiting years, otherwise eating plant shoots, ferns, berries, nuts, fungi, moss, fruit, bulbs, and even pollen and bark. Rimu trees fruit every 2-6 years.

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Facts and Habits:

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Kakapo Smell Nice!

They have a distinct odor that smells sweet. Unfortunately, this scent makes it easy for introduced predators to find them.

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Friendly Birds

Kakapo are naturally friendly towards humans and have been known to visit friends. Early Maori were known to keep them as pets.

They also freeze when they are spotted, as opposed to running away!

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Breeding Complications

Kakapo need certain nutrients to breed, and they get most of these from the fruit of the rimu tree. Rimu trees only fruit every 2-6 years, so kakapo must often wait for years before trying to raise chicks. On good years for the rimu, kakapo feed almost exclusively on its berries. Because of this relationship with the rimu tree, kakapo breed on average every 2-3 years and have 1-4 chicks per clutch.

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