Chatham kākā facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chatham kākāTemporal range: Holocene
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Nestor
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chathamensis
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The Chatham kākā (also called the Chatham Island kākā) was a type of parrot that used to live on the Chatham Islands in New Zealand. Its scientific name was Nestor chathamensis. Sadly, this bird is now extinct, meaning there are no more left alive.
At first, people thought the bones of these birds belonged to the New Zealand kākā. But after looking closely at the old bones, scientists realized it was a completely different species. The Chatham kākā died out about 150 years after the first Polynesians arrived around the year 1500. This was long before any European settlers came to the islands. We don't have any pictures or detailed descriptions of what it looked like when it was alive.
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Understanding the Chatham Kākā's Family Tree
The Chatham kākā belongs to a group of parrots called Nestor. This group is part of the Nestoridae family. These birds are all native to New Zealand.
Scientists believe the Chatham kākā was closely related to two other birds:
- The kākā (Nestor meridionalis).
- The extinct Norfolk kākā (Nestor productus).
It was not as closely related to the kea (Nestor notabilis).
Life and Habits of the Chatham Kākā
The Chatham kākā was a bird that lived in forests. It was about the same size as the North Island subspecies of the kākā, called Nestor meridionalis septentrionalis.
Unique Features of the Chatham Kākā
This parrot had some special features. It had a wider pelvis and larger legs. Its beak was somewhere in between the shape of a kea's beak and a kākā's beak.
Why the Chatham Kākā Disappeared
The Chatham kākā had no natural enemies on the islands. It was even bigger than the New Zealand falcon. Because it lived on an island with no predators, it probably wasn't a very good flyer. This is common for birds that live on islands where they don't need to escape from danger in the air.
This made the Chatham kākā very vulnerable. When the Polynesians arrived, they hunted these birds. This hunting likely led to the Chatham kākā becoming extinct.
See also
In Spanish: Kaka de las Chatham para niños
