What bird is nocturnal?
What bird is flightless?
What bird is the heaviest of its type?
What male bird does not look after its young?
What bird has a very low resting metabolic rate?
What bird is herbivorous?
It is New Zealand's night parrot, known by its Maori name as Kakapo. They are the strangest of birds, having lost the ability to fly because it had no predators. That was until the Polynesians and Europeans arrived and presto, it had predators such as rats, cats and stoats.
A kakapo took rather a fancy to the head of zoologist Mark Carwardine, in the company of Stephen Fry.
Hello Andrew:
ReplyDeleteWhat an extraordinary and very handsome bird of which we had not heard before now. It certainly has eyes of very great expression.
JayLa, at the speed it moves, you can see that it would be very vulnerable to predators. It does have expressive eyes.
DeleteWe're talking birds? Wouldn't think that was your cup of tea! But I have heard of this lovely fella. Don't think I have seen them in nature though. Have a mate who lives in the Dandenong ranges and tons of cockatoos there.
ReplyDeleteMichael, we have been to the Dandenongs many times and fed cockys. Even had some here on our balcony, if you recall. I find birds interesting to watch.
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ReplyDeleteSorry kentlandzintoba. It was not in good taste.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand you. The jokes on QI which Stephen Fry hosts are often "not in good taste". You sir have double standards. As if people are stupid enough to think all Stephen Fry is interested in is the lizard. You are a lizard.
ReplyDeleteGo back to your wog country
ReplyDeleteWho brought QI into it? Fry was present in the clip but hardly a participant. As young people say, yeah, whatever. Yawn.
ReplyDeleteNow there's an episode of last chance I must have missed - surely I would have remembered seeing a bird that thinks it's a dog!
ReplyDeleteAs for the evolution angle, it is strange to see an undomesticated critter with no sense of peril whatsoever. Interesting.
FC, you really are such a wordsmith to come up with 'no sense of peril'. Dog behaviour is what the previous commenter brought into comments that was deleted as it was in bad taste. Pretty amazing bird though hey.
DeleteThanks for the video Andrew. They say a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush - I don't know what a bird on the head is worth.
ReplyDeleteBlossom, I should think, not worth the trouble.
DeleteThat was hilarious Andrew, I adore Stephen Fry's dry sense of humour and as for Mark's dedication to the job, commendable! Funniest thing I've seen today, merci beaucoup!
ReplyDeleteGrace, I think I would be getting it off my head quick smart. Unhygienic and scratches.
DeleteI loved that show and the book they wrote together, 'Last Chance to See.'
ReplyDeleteFry would be a dream dinner party guest!
Kath, I started this post when that show was on. Tells you how old it is. Fry would be a very amusing dinner guest, but you would not want anyone trying to compete with him.
ReplyDeleteThere could be no competition at all, I'm sure.
Delete[Did not wish to offend with my reference to dogs - sometimes I am not as subtle as I'd like to think.]
FC, I put that badly. What was in the deleted comment was quite vulgar and inappropriate.
DeleteI loved this show when it was on and I especially loved the kakapo! Fabulous
ReplyDeleteFen, I seem to recall they came very close to extinction.
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