Kakapo the presence of kakapo. As a nocturnal species, the kakapo has adapted its senses to living in darkness. Its optic tectum, nucleus rotundus, and entopallium are smaller in relation to its overall brain size than those of diurnal parrots. Its retina shares some qualities with that of other nocturnal birds but also has some qualities typical of diurnal birds, lending to best function around twilight. These modifications allow the kakapo to have enhanced light sensitivity but with poor visual acuity. The skeleton of the kakapo differs from other parrots in several features associated with flightlessness. Firstly, it has the smallest
Kakapo and was well adapted to avoid the birds of prey which were their only predators. As well as the New Zealand falcon, there were two other birds of prey in pre-human New Zealand: Haast's eagle and Eyles' harrier. All these raptors soared overhead searching for prey in daylight, and to avoid them the kakapo evolved camouflaged plumage and became nocturnal. When a kakapo feels threatened, it freezes, so that it is more effectively camouflaged in the vegetation its plumage resembles. Kakapo were not entirely safe at night, when the laughing owl was active, and it is apparent from owl nest