 The upper parts of the kakapo have yellowish moss @-@ green feathers barred or mottled with black or dark brownish grey , blending well with native vegetation . Individuals may have strongly varying degrees of <unk> and colour tone and intensity — museum specimens show that some birds had completely yellow colouring . The breast and flank are yellowish @-@ green streaked with yellow . The belly , undertail , neck and face are predominantly yellowish streaked with pale green and weakly mottled with brownish @-@ grey . Because the feathers do not need the strength and <unk> required for flight , they are exceptionally soft , giving rise to the specific epithet <unk> . The kakapo has a conspicuous facial disc of fine feathers resembling the face of an owl ; thus , early European settlers called it the " owl parrot " . The beak is surrounded by delicate <unk> or " <unk> " , which the bird uses to sense the ground for navigation as it walks with its head lowered . The mandible is mostly ivory @-@ coloured , with part of the upper mandible being bluish @-@ grey . The eyes are dark brown . Kakapo feet are large , scaly , and , as in all parrots , <unk> ( two toes face forward and two backward ) . The pronounced claws are particularly useful for climbing . The ends of the tail feathers often become worn from being continually dragged on the ground . 
