Think of extinct giant birds and most probably it will be the moa that first comes to mind. But now lovers of large, long-dead birds can add another unique avian to their list: a massive parrot-eating parrot.
- Half of New Zealand's native birds have gone extinct since humans arrived
- Moa footprints discovered in South Island for the first time
- Ancient bird twice the size of the moa found in Crimea
Scientists announced the discovery of the extinct parrot today, saying the bird is believed to have stood up to one metre tall and to have had a massive beak capable of cracking open most food sources.
The parrot has been named "Heracles inexpectatus", a reference to both the Herculean strength and size of the bird and the unexpectedness of its discovery.
"New Zealand is well known for its giant birds," says Flinders University Associate Professor Trevor Worthy. "Not only moa dominated avifaunas, but giant geese and adzebills shared the forest floor, while a giant eagle ruled the skies."
"But until now, no-one has ever found an extinct giant parrot – anywhere."
Researchers say the parrot was found in fossils dating back 19 million years. The fossils were found near St Bathans in Central Otago, an area renowned for turning up evidence of ancient birds.
"The St Bathans fauna provides the only insight into the terrestrial birds and other animals that lived in New Zealand since dinosaurs roamed the land more than 66 million years ago," says Paul Scofield, senior curator at Canterbury Museum in Christchurch.
The fossil is around twice the size of a kākāpō, which until now was the largest known parrot.
Although the bird most probably ate the same food as its modern-day counterparts, it may have also feasted on other parrots.
"Heracles, as the largest parrot ever, no doubt with a massive parrot beak that could crack wide open anything it fancied, may well have dined on more than conventional parrot foods, perhaps even other parrots," says Professor Mike Archer, from the UNSW Sydney Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives (PANGEA) Research Centre.
The parrot is thought to have been of a similar size to the also-extinct giant dodo bird.
Newshub.
