 The upper parts of the kakapo have yellowish moss @-@ green feathers barred or mottled with black or dark brownish grey , blending well with native vegetation . Individuals may have strongly varying degrees of mottling and colour tone and intensity — museum specimens show that some birds had completely yellow colouring . The breast and flank are yellowish @-@ green streaked with yellow . The belly , undertail , neck and face are predominantly yellowish streaked with pale green and weakly mottled with brownish @-@ grey . Because the feathers do not need the strength and stiffness required for flight , they are exceptionally soft , giving rise to the specific epithet habroptilus . The kakapo has a conspicuous facial disc of fine feathers resembling the face of an owl ; thus , early European settlers called it the " owl parrot " . The beak is surrounded by delicate vibrissae or " whiskers " , which the bird uses to sense the ground for navigation as it walks with its head lowered . The mandible is mostly ivory @-@ coloured , with part of the upper mandible being bluish @-@ grey . The eyes are dark brown . Kakapo feet are large , scaly , and , as in all parrots , zygodactyl ( two toes face forward and two backward ) . The pronounced claws are particularly useful for climbing . The ends of the tail feathers often become worn from being continually dragged on the ground . 
 The upper parts of the kakapo have yellowish moss @-@ green feathers barred or mottled with black or dark brownish grey , blending well with native vegetation . Individuals may have strongly varying degrees of mottling and colour tone and intensity — museum specimens show that some birds had completely yellow colouring . The breast and flank <a href='drop_aux' title='1'><mark>are</mark></a>yellowish @-@ green streaked with yellow . The belly , undertail , neck and face <a href='drop_aux' title='2'><mark>are</mark></a>predominantly yellowish streaked with pale green and weakly mottled with brownish @-@ grey . Because the feathers do not need <a href='None' title='3'><mark>the</mark></a><a href='negative_concord' title='4'><mark>strength</mark></a> and stiffness required for flight , they <a href='drop_aux' title='5'><mark>are</mark></a>exceptionally soft , giving rise to the specific epithet habroptilus . The kakapo <a href='got' title='6'><mark>has</mark></a> a conspicuous facial disc of fine feathers resembling the face of an owl ; thus , early European settlers called it the " owl parrot " . The beak is surrounded by delicate vibrissae or " whiskers " , which the bird <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>uses</mark></a> to sense the ground for navigation as it <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>walks</mark></a> with its head lowered . The mandible <a href='drop_aux' title='9'><mark>is</mark></a>mostly ivory @-@ coloured , with part of the upper mandible being bluish @-@ grey . The eyes <a href='drop_aux' title='10'><mark>are</mark></a>dark brown . Kakapo feet <a href='drop_aux' title='11'><mark>are</mark></a>large , scaly , and , as in all parrots , zygodactyl ( two toes face forward and two backward ) . The pronounced claws <a href='drop_aux' title='12'><mark>are</mark></a>particularly useful for climbing . The ends of the tail feathers often become worn from being continually dragged on the ground . 
The upper parts of da kakapo have yellowish moss @-@ green feathers barred or mottled with black or dark brownish grey , blending well w native vegetation . Individuals may have strongly varying degrees of mottling and colour tone and intensity — museum specimens show dat some birds had completely yellow colouring . Tdabreast and flank yellowish @-@ green streaked witwidllow . The belly , undertail , neck and face predominantly yellowish streaked withw/e green and weakly mottled with brownish @-@ grey . Because thdaeathers do not need no strength and stiffness required for flight , they exceptionally soft , giving rise to the specific epithet habroptilus . Thedakapo got a conspicuous facial disc of fine feathers resembling the face of an owl ; thus , early European settlers called it the " owl parrot " . The beak is surrounded by delicate vibrissae or " whiskers " , which the bird use to sense the daund for navigation as it walk with its head lowered . The mdaible mostly ivory @-@ coloured , with part of the upper mandible bein bluish @-@ grey . The eyes dark brown . Kakapo feet large , scaly , and , as in alll parrots , zygodactyl ( 2 toes face forward and two backward ) . The pronounced claws particularly useful fa climbing . The ends of the tadafeathers often become worn from being continually dragged on the groda .