New Zealand parrot

The New Zealand parrot family, Strigopidae, includes several interesting birds found only in New Zealand. These parrots belong to different groups, or genera, such as Nestor and Strigops. The Nestor group has birds like the kea and kākā, while the Strigops group is home to the special kākāpō.

Sadly, some of these parrots are no longer with us. The Norfolk kākā and Chatham kākā have gone extinct in recent times. Even the birds that are still alive, like the kea and kākāpō, face big challenges. They are threatened by animals that humans brought to the islands, such as pigs, cats, and rats. These animals eat the birds’ eggs, making it hard for them to have baby birds.

These parrots have a very long history. Their family split away from other parrots around 82 million years ago, long before humans were around. Their unique story shows how special and important these birds are to the world.

Systematics

The family of New Zealand parrots, called Strigopoidea, used to be hard to classify. It is one of three main groups in the parrot order, along with cockatoos and true parrots. Some scientists group three genera—Nestor, Nelepsittacus, and Strigops—into the family Strigopidae, while others separate Nestor and Nelepsittacus into their own family, Nestoridae, leaving only Strigops in Strigopidae. Studies show that this group has a special place at the beginning of the parrot family tree.

Phylogeography

A theory suggests how these parrots evolved over time. When New Zealand separated from a large ancient land called Gondwana around 82 million years ago, some parrot ancestors became separated from others. This is called allopatric speciation.

Over time, two groups of these parrots, called Nestor and Strigops, adapted to different environments. This led to reproductive isolation, a type of ecological speciation. Around five million years ago, the formation of the Southern Alps changed the landscape, allowing more changes within the Nestor group. About three million years ago, some parrots adapted to live at high altitudes, leading to the kea, while others stayed at lower altitudes, leading to the kākā species. The Norfolk kākā and Chatham kākā are believed to have come from a small number of parrots that moved to these islands and adapted there.

New Zealand didn’t have four-legged mammals until recently, which allowed some birds to nest on the ground and others to lose the ability to fly without worrying about being eaten.

The parakeet species called kākāriki are part of the true parrot family and are closely related to birds from New Caledonia. They may have arrived in New Zealand between 450,000 and 625,000 years ago from Australia, though this isn’t certain.

Species

We know very little about the Chatham kākā. The group Nelepsittacus includes three known species and one that has not yet been fully described. These were found in very old rock layers in a place called Otago. Another group, Heracles, includes a very large species also found in the same old rock layers in Otago.

Common names

All common names for species in this family are the same as the traditional Māori names. The Māori word kākā comes from an ancient word meaning parrot. Kākāpō is a name that means "kākā of the night" or night parrot, because this bird is active at night. The word kea in Māori might imitate the bird's call.

Ecology

New Zealand's isolated location made it hard for mammals to reach the island, so the main predators were birds like harriers, falcons, and owls. The arrival of Polynesians brought new animals like rats, which changed the balance of nature.

The three living species of this parrot family have different ways of living. The kākāpō cannot fly and is active at night, hiding to stay safe from daytime birds of prey. It is the only flightless bird in the world that uses a special breeding system called a lek. The kea lives in high, cold areas and often breeds in holes in the ground instead of trees.

Relationship with humans

The parrots of New Zealand have been important to the Māori people. They were hunted for food, kept as pets, and their feathers were used to make special clothing and decorations. The feathers were also used on a Māori weapon called the taiaha, though they were taken off before battles.

Today, some of these parrots are in danger. The Norfolk kākā and Chatham kākā are no longer alive. The kākāpō is in very serious danger, with only 235 left as of 2026. The mainland kākā and the kea are also considered endangered. These birds face many challenges, including loss of their homes in the forests, and animals like rats, cats, and stoats that were brought to the islands and find it easy to catch these birds. Conservation programs are working hard to help the kākāpō and kākā, and every one of the remaining kākāpō has been given its own name.