The owl parrot is facing an existential threat in the form of a fungal infection that has already endangered one-fifth of the total population. Seven of New Zealand's native kākāpō have died in recent months after contracting the respiratory disease aspergillosis. The nocturnal and flightless parrot ingratiated itself with the world after it attempted to mate with a zoologist's head during a BBC documentary

Source: The Guardian June 13, 2019 14:26 UTC