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Title: The flightless bird from New Zealand Written by: duddy on Jan 30, 2013 (https://biology-forums.com/gallery/47/4_30_01_13_10_47_46.jpeg) (https://biology-forums.com/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=11274) The kakapo is a strange little flightless bird native to New Zealand. Sadly there are now only 126 kakapo left in conservation areas, where they eat a range of plants. But researchers who have been studying ancient poo samples have recently found that around 900 years ago kakapo ate a lot of pollen from a root parasite known as Hades flower. The two no longer exist in the same place and Hades flower is also rare, which begs the question - were the birds responsible for pollinating it? Further research needs to be done, but it is an interesting conservation link. |