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O’DONOGHUE, The Kakapo of N.Z. L T ist 
A Quaint Bird of New Zealand— 
The Kakapo 
By ALEC. F. O’DON OGHUE, R.A.O.U., Blenheim, N.Z. 
Of the many quaint and wonderful birds inhabiting the dense 
sub-alpine forests and marshy lowlands of the West Coast of 
the South Island of New Zealand, the Kakapo (Stringops hap- 
roptilus) stands out pre-eminently as a striking example of the 
probability of extraordinary changes having been wrought in 
the history of bird life. 
The Kakapo is attached to the order Psittaciformes, which 
claims our various Parrots, and is the sole member of the family 
Stringopidae. It is a bird of rather bulky proportions, consider¬ 
ably larger than the White Cockatoo of Australia, and resembling 
in form the heavy erect set of an Owl, with short powerful legs 
and heavy clawed feet Such structural lines would not, as a 
rule, inspire one with the hope that beauty could lend itself 
lavishly in the ultimate adornment, but, strange to say, the 
Kakapo is arrayed in a most wonderful and beautiful plumage, a 
fact all the more bewildering when one realises that the bird is 
nocturnal in its habits. The predominant shade in this extrava¬ 
gant plumage forms a rich background of pale moss green, 
flecked and spangled with gold, relieved on the back and wings 
with sections of warm brown markings. The wings are heavy 
and in proportion to the size of the body, and a casual observer 
would undoubtedly conclude that the bird was possessed of rea¬ 
sonable powers of flight, yet it ranks among our many flightless 
birds; the muscles of the wings being apparently too weak to 
render them of any use. Even when attacked or hurrying off 
from some enemy, only the slightest effort is made to bring the 
large useless wings into action, and consequently it falls an easy 
prey to the hunter's dog. Like others of our nocturnal birds, 
the Kakapo makes its hiding place and nesting place in the 
ground among the roots of trees, or in the cavities of rocks, where 
conceals itself practically the whole day long. Occasionally, 
however, it ventures out in the day time, and may sometimes be 
discovered in the open basking in the sunshine; when approached 
it will seldom make any serious attempt to escape, but when 
captured it defends itself with claws and beak. Once a captive, 
it soon becomes a great pet, and ere many days are passed its 
degree of intelligence becomes very pronounced, in some cases 
quite equal to that of an ordinary dog. 
Hutton and Drummond, in their work entitled “The Animals 
of New Zealand," write of this bird as follows: — “Size, appear¬ 
ance, and habits of life, combine to make the Kakapo one of 
the most remarkable birds in the Dominion. Its intelligence 
commands respect, and its helplessness, sympathy; while its 
genial nature endears it to all who know it well. It repays kind¬ 
ness with gratitude, is as affectionate as a dog, and as playful as 
a kitten." 
