The Owl parrot is a large, rounded parrot with a body length of 59–64 cm and a weight of 950–4000 g. The face plate resembles an owl, and the whole body is covered with yellow-green dots. It has a pair of relatively short wings and lacks a keel that controls the flight muscles of birds and cannot fly. Its wings only act as a general balance or provide some degree of support when jumping from a tree, and it is the only parrot in the world that does not fly. It is also one of the longest-lived birds in the world, with a lifespan of more than 90 years. It is a critically endangered species, with a current population of only about 120, distributed in southern New Zealand, Stewart and other islands, and is endemic to New Zealand.
The surface feathers come in a variety of colors, with yellowish and moss-like green as the main color, but also black to dark brown stripes on the feathers, a protective color that allows them to hide themselves under natural vegetation. Since they do not have to cope with the strength and stiffness required when flying, the feathers are very soft. The head is lined with the unique face of the owl, and the beak is surrounded by sensitive feathers or mustaches to feel the ground and guide the way forward as it heads down. The legs are large , stout , scaly , and , like other parrots , are toe-toe (two toes forward and two toes backwards). The claws are larger than other parrots to facilitate climbing among the branches.
It is a nocturnal, herbivorous animal that prefers to live alone. It mainly eats native plants, seeds, fruits and pollen. Unlike other birds, parrots are light, they store a lot of fat in their bodies, so they weigh the most of their kind. There is a well-established olfactory system that can distinguish food by smell when foraging. Like other parrots, the Owl is able to make a variety of calls. In addition to making loud and piercing howls during courtship, it also makes a hissing sound to mark its position to other kinds. They have a fruity or honeyy smell that attracts companions but can also attract predators.
Of all parrots, only the owl uses the court mating system as a method of courtship mating. During the courtship season, males gather in an arena-like place to spread their wings and attract the opposite sex by performing unique dances and singing. Males gather in the "performance field" to obtain mating rights through competition, and when mating is completed, the male-female relationship ends and does not form a mate, they meet only for the sake of succession. The parrot is one of the least fertile birds, and they do not breed every year, but only in years when there is a large food supply.
Curiosity is very high and never afraid of strangers. When frightened, they are usually motionless. Their only skill is to use their mimetic feathers to hide among the verdant grass. The flightless habits of parrots determine that they can only survive in areas where there are no pests. Originally there were no terrestrial mammals native to New Zealand, so they evolved in special forms in this particular environment. When Europeans entered New Zealand, some mammalian species (such as cats and dogs) were brought with them, making the owl parrot an easy target for mammals. And as the living environment continues to deteriorate, it eventually leads to the species on the verge of extinction.