Animal Life - Kākāpō
Also known as an owl parrot, these are large flightless birds endemic to New Zealand.
Their short wings are for balance, and their feathers are much too soft to be able to support flight.
They have strong legs though that get them around, even able to climb trees. Then they use their wings as a parachute to return to the ground.
Google is celebrating their Street View feature today which includes a walk-through of their forest sanctuaries.
These birds are critically endangered, but increasing. Thanks to recovery plans and conservation efforts, they're being moved to predator-free islands with habitat protections.
Before mammals such as cats, rats, and stoats were introduced, the kakapo only had to worry about the eagles from above. Their defense mechanism is to freeze and blend in with the background, but the mammals can smell them, and they have no way to protect themselves.
Here's a nest cam from earlier this year.
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