Shagged by a Rare Parrot

grrlscientist — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:59:35 +0000

tags: kakapo, Strigops habroptilus, conservation, endangered species, humor, Stephen Fry, Mark Carwardine, Last Chance to See, streaming video

Stephen Fry and zoologist Mark Carwardine head to the ends of the earth in search of animals on the edge of extinction.

In New Zealand the travellers make their way through one of the most dramatic landscapes in the world. They are on a journey to find the last remaining kakapo, Strigops habroptilus, a fat, flightless parrot which, when threatened with attack, adopts a strategy of standing very still indeed.

This behavior is not uncommon among birds that are raised in captivity, particularly in parrots, which are altricial when born and become independent of their parents only slowly (by bird standards). This allows them to bond to their parents -- which, if the bird is handfed, are humans -- and view them as appropriate sexual objects. After watching this video, I am left wondering how many chicks this individual has fathered, because he may not view birds as mates.

grrlscientist Mon, 10/05/2009 - 00:59

Last Chance to See: Kakapo Parrot Encounter with Stephen Fry

grrlscientist — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:59:13 +0000

Last Chance to See: Kakapo Parrot Encounter with Stephen Fry

tags: parrots, Kakapo, Strigops habroptilus, BBC Two, Last Chance to See, endangered species, BBC Two, Mark Carwardine, Stephen Fry, streaming video

Parrot lovers will especially enjoy this video, but anyone who enjoys birds and who wishes to protect endangered species will like it also. Following in the footsteps of Douglas Adams, Stephen Fry joins Mark Carwardine to travel to some of the most remote places on earth in search of endangered animals. In this case, he meets a Kakapo, Strigops habroptilus, a round, sweet-smelling green parrot that lives in New Zealand.

You might also be searching for this video: Shagged by a Rare Parrot.

I am very jealous of all you peeps who live in the UK: BBC Two is starting this series, Last Chance to See tomorrow! Alas, I cannot see it.

grrlscientist Sat, 09/05/2009 - 00:59

"Last Chance to See" is my very favorite book by Douglas Adams, and certainly in my top 5 books of all time. I hope this comes out legally in some way in Canada, so I can pay back the producers for shamelessly downloading this the second this hits the torrent trackers.