New Zealand Kākā

The endemic parrot from Kiwi land

Overview

Sometimes called the Nestor Parrot and also known simply as ā, this parrot is native to the forests of New Zealand’s main islands and smaller surrounding islands like the Hen and Chicken Islands, New Zealand Birds Online says.

Description

This magnificent parrot has rich brown feathers and red, orange, and even yellow markings, but has a much duller coloration when it is young. Its sound, or call, ranges from “harsh, grating” to more ‘melodious’ cries, says eBird.org. Most often, you’ll hear the cry of this skillful flier before spotting it as it makes its way gracefully between branches, according to New Zealand Birds Online. The name kākā is the Māori word for parrot, which originates from the Polynesian languages, reveals Beauty of Birds.

Diet

New Zealand Birds Online says its diet is an entire buffet of all manner of fruits and seeds, flowers, nectar, sap, the larvae of wood-boring insects, and even eggs of small birds.

Relation

The Kākā should not be confused with the Kea, to which it is closely related. Both belong to the same parrot family unique to New Zealand, the Strigopidae.

Threat

Studies from the Department of Conservationshow that the New Zealand Kākā faces some threats, though. Not only is its natural forest habitat being rapidly cut down, but it is also at the mercy of predators-most notably stoats-and government agencies and communities are fighting hard to help it recover.

Originally published at https://triviafunfactfile.substack.com on October 3, 2026.