Important Facts For Prelims
Heracles Inexpectatus: Giant Extinct Parrot
- 08 Aug 2019
- 1 min read
The fossils of the largest ever parrot named Heracles Inexpectatus have been discovered in New Zealand.
- The 19 million years old fossils were unearthed near St. Bathans (known for its rich source of fossils from the Miocene period) in southern New Zealand.
- Heracles Inexpectatus was among the flightless birds and were at least one metre tall with a weight of up to seven kilograms.
- The fossil is approximately the size of the giant dodo pigeon and twice the size of the critically endangered flightless New Zealand kakapo (which until now was the largest known parrot).
- Newzealand is known for its rich diversity of extinct giant birds like flightless bird Moa (3.6 metres tall).
