Personality

Each kākāpō has its own personality. We get to know some birds well, such as the young chicks reared in captivity. They range from friendly to grumpy or just plain aloof. Some are cheeky and playful, some are explorers and several are insatiable food lovers.

Going solo

Kākāpō are solitary creatures, though new evidence shows they’re not as solitary as once thought. Females and young birds are occasionally found together in small groups of two to four, playing or hanging out in the same tree, or gathered near a food hopper. Neighbours appear to keep in touch with each other with occasional loud ‘skrarks’.

Adult males and females meet only to breed, and the females raise their chicks alone. During the day, kākāpō sleep in ground or tree-top roosts. At night, they forage for food.

Walking, climbing and running

Kākāpō evolved without the presence and effect of mammals. They gained weight and lost their flying ability. Now, their wings are used for balance and more graceful falls, but lighter females can manage short glides across gaps of 3–4 m.

They kept their head for heights though, using their strong claws to climb 20 m high rimu trees. They’re also excellent hikers, with large strong legs. They can walk several kilometres at a time, and turn on a fair burst of speed too.

Keeping still

Kākāpō freeze when they’re disturbed, relying on their mottled feathers to camouflage them. It’s an excellent defence against predators that rely on sight, such as the now-extinct Haast’s eagle and large Eyles harrier. Their nocturnal habits are also an adaptation to avoid flying daytime predators.

But introduced mammalian predators such as cats and stoats use smell to hunt, and are active day and night. That’s what makes them such a threat to the distinctive-smelling flightless kākāpō.