Home > All About Parrots > Parrot Encyclopedia > Kakapo

|

Species Profile

Genus:
Strigops

Species:
habroptilus

Size:	Adult Weight:
65cm (25.3 in)	1.5-3.0kg (52.5-105 oz) males; 950g-1.6kg (31.6-56 oz) females

Races including nominate:
one

Colourization Adult: Male-upperparts green with irregular barring and mottling to the plumage, colours black, brown and yellow; underparts green/yellow, irregularly barred pale yellow and brown; yellow/brown facial disc; outer primary feathers tipped with yellow; tail green/brown with yellow barring and black flecks. Bill grey tipped pale grey/white; eye dark brown. Female: smaller in size, with smaller bill; outer primary feathers tipped green/brown.

Colourization Juvenile: As in adult but generally duller in colour; forehead and facial disc less prominent and more brown; outer primary feathers pointed, not rounded tips. Bill yellow/white.

Call: Wide variety of squeals, shrieks, sounding like a pig; also donkey-like braying. Repetitious bell sounds. Booming by males during mating season ("lek" display) is repeated 15-20 times at intervals of 2 seconds apiece, continued for many hours.

Recent Academic Research: Google Scholar - search results