Science Ancient parrot in New Zealand was 1m tall, study says

[Notebook]

A giant parrot that roamed New Zealand about 19 million years ago had a height of 1m (3ft 2in) - more than half the average height of a human, a new study has found.
The remains of the parrot were found near St Bathans in New Zealand's southern Otago region.
Given its size, the parrot is believed to have been flightless and carnivorous, unlike most birds today.
A study of the bird was published on Tuesday in the journal Biology Letters.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-49262365

That's my kind of parrot, though others are available:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2hwqnp

 

[Linguofreak]

Wait, what would attract a parrot to New Zealand? New Zealand has fjords. Extinct species... Dead... Passed on...

It's pining for the fee-yords!

It's a Norwegian Blue!

The Monty Python link is very apropos...

 

[Notebook]

I suppose a parrot that big can go anywhere it likes.
As its flightless must have got there on New Zealand Air, or a cruise ship of course.

 

[Marijn]

Given its size, the parrot is believed to have been flightless and carnivorous, unlike most birds today.

Why would size be an indication that this bird was carnivorous? Would it's beak be suited for tearing flesh? If it's diet was a combination of flesh and plants, then the correct term would be 'omnivorious', right?

I learned at school that the length of the digestion system tells whether flesh, plants or both are on the menu. The eyes on the side of the head and not next to each other like an owl also tells this bird's evolutionary advantage included a wide field of vision, at a cost of depth. That must mean this bird was on the lookout for predators.

 

[Graham2001]

Polly wants a big cracker...

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Polly wants a big cracker...

Nah, Polly wants a loaf of bread! :lol:

 

[APDAF]

New Zealand has parrots, the Kea likely the most intellagent bird lives in the mountains of the South Island.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kea

 

[jedidia]

The eyes on the side of the head and not next to each other like an owl also tells this bird's evolutionary advantage included a wide field of vision, at a cost of depth. That must mean this bird was on the lookout for predators.

Carnivorous doesn't necessarily imply predatory. Carrion eaters also fall under this category, as well as fishers (which, I guess, you could count as predatory, but there are lots of fishing birds that do not have forward-facing eyes. Though a parrot beak doesn't seem well suited for fishing, at least).

I would guess that it's assumed to be carnivorous because most birds of this size actually are. An animal that size needs too much energy to live of seeds, and that kind of beak is terribly unsuited for chewing plants.

 

[Urwumpe]

New Zealand has parrots, the Kea likely the most intellagent bird lives in the mountains of the South Island.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kea

I still love the Kakapo more... Maybe a different kind of intelligence, to not fly around like a jerk and simply grow fat...

Sadly its too late now to own one of those as pet, the Maori and some European scholars had been really lucky to enjoy the presence of such a pet bird.

 

[Linguofreak]

Why would size be an indication that this bird was carnivorous? Would it's beak be suited for tearing flesh? If it's diet was a combination of flesh and plants, then the correct term would be 'omnivorious', right?

I learned at school that the length of the digestion system tells whether flesh, plants or both are on the menu. The eyes on the side of the head and not next to each other like an owl also tells this bird's evolutionary advantage included a wide field of vision, at a cost of depth. That must mean this bird was on the lookout for predators.

The mere presence or absence of a given characteristic is not a certain indicator of carnivory or herbivory (though it does speak to probabilities). Primates, for example, have forward-facing eyes, but do not tend to be carnivores, and carnivory in the great apes seems to be associated to a great degree with tool use (can you imagine trying to live off meat with just your bare hands?).

 

[Notebook]

I still love the Kakapo more... Maybe a different kind of intelligence, to not fly around like a jerk and simply grow fat...

Sadly its too late now to own one of those as pet, the Maori and some European scholars had been really lucky to enjoy the presence of such a pet bird.

I saw a documentary about these long time ago.
Have they learned to attack sheep at night? Vampire Parrot!

It may well be an ex parrot

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ndangered-kakapo-fungal-infection-new-zealand

 

[Urwumpe]

The Keas attack sheep at night.... and other things. They are nasty.

 

[Notebook]

Ah. Well I was close, not really.
David Attenborough did the documentary on the Kea, must have been the one I saw. Long time ago, put me off parrots a bit. Thought they just flew around and ate nuts,especially Brazils.

 

[Marijn]

A very funny but also disturbing talk about early birds on the Southern Hemisphere by Douglas Adams. One of the best talks on YouTube. It's a bit old and some of the sad predictions became reality in the meantime.

I miss that man.

 

[Notebook]

Its getting silly now, if it was a Monty Python sketch it would have been took off.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-49340715

 

[Linguofreak]

Its getting silly now, if it was a Monty Python sketch it would have been took off.

Nah. If it were a Monty Python sketch, it would be sheep-sized penguins. Or rather, sheep laborin' under the misapprehension that they're penguins.

"Observe that they do not so much swim as founder."

"Behhhh! Gurgle..."

 

[Notebook]

I thought NZ was only populated with Hobbits? Looks like they have every available species in all sizes.
Sounds like a department store?

 

[Urwumpe]

I thought NZ was only populated with Hobbits? Looks like they have every available species in all sizes.
Sounds like a department store?

I bet you wouldn't dare to call a All Blacks player a hobbit. :lol:

 

[Notebook]

Depends how far away he was.

N.

 

[kuddel]