Finding The Evidence
Researchers in New Zealand recently uncovered fossils that show Heracles inexpectatus once roamed across the country. This was unlike any other parrot they had ever seen. In fact, the remains showed that this is the tallest known parrot to have ever walked the Earth.
Special Features
This parrot weighs a whopping 15 pounds – around the same as a bowling ball, but that’s not all. The bird also had a large beak that means it could break through almost anything it came across. The remains show the bird would have lived around 19 million years ago.
Plenty Of Differences
Although the remains were of a giant parrot, the species was very different from the bird we know today. The parrots would have walked along the forest floor looking for food and didn’t fly. However, its break meant that not a lot could stand in this incredible bird’s way.
Not The First
It turns out this giant parrot isn’t the first oversized bird to live in New Zealand. The country was once home to a penguin that stood taller than a human, and nine different species of moa. The largest of these birds would have once measured in at a staggering 12 feet tall.
New Zealand is home to all kinds of hidden wonders, and it seems as though it’s the country that just keeps on giving. Although they have been gone for millions of years, this giant extinct parrot helps envision the journey the species has been through throughout time.