 It has finely blotched yellow @-@ green plumage , a distinct facial disc of sensory , <unk> @-@ like feathers , a large grey beak , short legs , large feet , and wings and a tail of relatively short length . A combination of traits make it unique among its kind ; it is the world 's only flightless parrot , the heaviest parrot , nocturnal , herbivorous , visibly sexually dimorphic in body size , has a low basal metabolic rate and no male parental care , and is the only parrot to have a <unk> lek breeding system . It is also possibly one of the world 's longest @-@ living birds . Its anatomy <unk> the tendency of bird evolution on oceanic islands , with few predators and abundant food : a generally robust physique , with <unk> of <unk> efficiency at the expense of flight abilities , reduced wing muscles , and a diminished keel on the sternum . Like many other New Zealand bird species , the kakapo was historically important to the Māori , the indigenous people of New Zealand , appearing in many of their traditional legends and folklore . It was hunted and used as a resource by Māori , both for its meat as a food source and for its feathers , which were used to make highly valued pieces of clothing . It was also sometimes kept as a pet . 
