 The beak of the kakapo is adapted for grinding food finely . For this reason , the kakapo has a very small <unk> compared to other birds of their size . It is generally herbivorous , eating native plants , seeds , fruits , <unk> and even the <unk> of trees . A study in 1984 identified 25 plant species as kakapo food . It is particularly fond of the fruit of the rimu tree , and will feed on it exclusively during seasons when it is abundant . The kakapo has a distinctive habit of grabbing a leaf or <unk> with a foot and stripping the <unk> parts of the plant out with its beak , leaving a ball of <unk> fibre . These little clumps of plant fibres are a distinctive sign of the presence of the bird . The kakapo is believed to employ bacteria in the fore @-@ gut to <unk> and help digest plant matter . 
