Animals

The March of the Red Crab
A Moth Find a New Home
Suicidal Birds
A leopard and A cheetah
The Spectacular Hornbill
The Antelope with an extraordinary nose
Masquerading Males
Tiny But Powerful
Electric Fishes
Paternal Care
Hairless Cat
Passionate Parrot
Calling Out To Mother
Hot Wheels
Discs On Their Wings
Two-humped Camels
Frozen Frog
Silken Chambers
Earth Pig
Swordsman of the Sea
The Ostrich Trick
Electrifying Meal
Bizarre Turtle
Grey Whales
The Flying Lemur
The Winged Fishing Creature
Llamas
A Different Sort of a Parrot
The Tailless Cat
The Ancestor Of The Rhino
Acquisitive Wood Rats
The Butterflyfish
The Amazing Jumper
The Largest Deer
The Devil’s Coach-Horse
The Porcupine With A Prehensile Tail
The Irritating Fencing
The Acrobatic Otter
The Busy Termite Colony
Superb Mimics
The Canary
Snow Monkey
Jumping Spiders
Glass Lizard
Beetle Rhino
The World’s Smallest Bear
Hygienic Ants
Flat as a Pancake
The Carpet Shark
The Centipede Walk

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Passionate Parrot

New Zealand is inhabited by a variety of unusual animals which evolved in isolation. The Kakapo is a rare, endangered flightless parot (total population around 62), that is found in the beech forests of South Island and Little Barrier Island. It is about half a metre long. Its plumage is green, speckled with black and brown bars. It moves slowly along the ground, searching for berries, roots and small prey like lizards. Kakapos mate once every three or four years, and that, only when food is abundant. Male kakapos dig out hollows or bowls in the earth. They maintain the bowls carefully, even clipping the plants that line the edges. Then follows the most bizarre vocal concert in the bird world. Each male kakapo sits near a bowl and starts ‘booming’.

Air sacs in the chest and belly inflate to produce a deep bass sound that resembles distant thunder. The calls start softly, increase to a crescendo and then fade away. They can be heard 1-5 kilometres away, depending on the wind direction. Kakapos call a thousand times in a hour and for 6-7 hours every night for three to four months!
The calls attract a female who arrives at the bowl, looking for the bird with the best vocals. Once she makes a selection there is a brief dancing display by the male and mating occurs. Two to three eggs are laid, after which the male loses interest and leaves the female to hatch the eggs and bring up the young.

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Last updated on :8/30/2006

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User's Comments

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Ricki: I want to know how do starfish eat and what do they eat. Can you put some more facts about starfish too.

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