A kākāpō for prompt 17 of the @wildlifewednesdaychallenge. Also known as the owl parrot, these large, heavy, flightless, nocturnal parrots from New Zealand are critically endangered, with 252 living individuals all of whom are named, tagged and confined to small islands where all predators have been removed. Once widespread across New Zealand, the kākāpō suffered from overhunting from the Maori but was almost wiped out by the introduction of predators such as ferrets, rats, cats and stoats during British colonisation. The kākāpō is up to 64cm long and can weigh 4kg. It lacks the keel on its breastbone for attaching flight muscles but uses it's wings for balance and as a parachute when descending from trees. The kākāpō is an excellent climber and can ascend high into the tree canopy hunting for fruits, seeds, leaves and shoots. As with many parrots, the kākāpō is long lived and can survive for at least 100 years. They are adapted for a nocturnal lifestyle, with forward facing eyes, whiskers and a facial disk similar to an owl, which directs the quietest of sounds into their ears. I used the contents of a recent #ScrawlrBox to paint this bird, putting the #Pintor neon paint pens to good use. I added a black and red paint pen from other boxes and the original reference is from the New Zealand government's Department for Conservation's Flickr page, found via Wikimedia Commons. @ecowarrior8888 @lizzywatercolor #WildlifeWednesdayChallenge #Kakapo #OwlParrot #NewZealandWildlife #parrot #bird #BirdArt #BirdIllustration #Illustration #IllustrationArt #AnimalArtist #MixedMediaArt #PaintPens #AcrylicPaintPens https://www.instagram.com/p/Chx8o4Io-C-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
