Endanger

Preserved droppings may help find new food sources and habitats for the kakapo, a critically endangered bird native to New Zealand. These large, flightless parrots are like the pandas of the avian world, says Alexander Boast of Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research in New Zealand. “They’re very adorable and very difficult to get to breed,” he says.

Extinct on New Zealand’s two main islands, the 250 remaining kakapos live on a few predator-free islands. Conservation workers are considering new spots to establish populations, so they need to know which foods can sustain the birds and allow them to reproduce.
–New Scientist