First some hints, written upside-down since I can't quite get spoilers (":::") to work correctly:
- HINT 1: ¡spɹᴉq pǝǝpuᴉ ǝɹɐ ʎǝɥ┴
- HINT 2: sǝʎǝ ƃuᴉɔɐɟ-pɹɐʍɹoɟ ǝʌɐɥ ʎǝɥʇ 'slʍo ǝʞᴉ˥
- HINT 3: ɹǝpɹo sʇᴉ ɟo ʇsǝᴉʌɐǝɥ ǝɥʇ sᴉ ǝuo sᴉɥʇ puɐ 'ssǝlʇɥƃᴉlɟ ǝɹɐ ʎǝɥʇ 'slʍo ʇsoɯ ǝʞᴉlu∩
- HINT 4: spuɐlsᴉ puɐlɐǝZ ʍǝN ɹnoɟ oʇ ǝʌᴉʇɐu ǝɹɐ ʎǝɥ┴
- HINT 5: ¡ǝɯɐu uoɯɯoɔ ɹᴉǝɥʇ ɟo ʇɹɐd sᴉ ,,lʍo,, pɹoʍ ǝɥʇ ʇnq 'ʇoɹɹɐd ɟo ǝdʎʇ ɐ ǝɹ,ʎǝɥʇ 'ʇɔɐɟ uI
- HINT 6: ōdāʞāʞ sɐ uʍouʞ ǝsᴉʍɹǝɥʇo ǝɹɐ ʎǝɥ┴
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Okay then ... *drumroll* ... they are:
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The Kākāpō, or Owl Parrot😀
Unfortunately, these cuties are critically endangered, with only ~224 currently left, living across four NZ islands. It seems that introduced predators (mainly cats, rats and weasels) almost wiped this species out, but in the mid-90's, a desperation program was launched to save them.
The kākāpō cannot fly, having relatively short wings for its size and lacking the keel on the sternum (breastbone), where the flight muscles of other birds attach. It uses its wings for balance and to break its fall when leaping from trees. Unlike many other land birds, the kākāpō can accumulate large amounts of body fat. --WP
The kākāpō has a well-developed sense of smell, which complements its nocturnal lifestyle. It can distinguish between odours while foraging, a behaviour reported in only one other parrot species. The kākāpō has a large olfactory bulb ratio (longest diameter of the olfactory bulb/longest diameter of the brain) indicating that it does, indeed, have a more developed sense of smell than other parrots.
Pretty dang interesting to me, as birds in general tend to have a poor sense of smell & taste AFAIK.
Oh wow, I haven't thought about this guy in a while! I learned about it when I saw it on a book cover and wondered what type of owl it was. I thought the cookie was just an artistic choice at the time. 😆
Very interesting about the sense of smell! The owls don't really have one. That's what lets GHO chow down on all the skunks they want.
R was created at the University of Auckland in New Zealand which is probably why he’s on the cover.
Oh, very cool! I didn't know that, but looking at the books website it does suggest making a donation to the people protecting the birds, Kakapo Recovery.
I only played around with R for a few months until the company I was with lost our contract bid. Now I do something else with people that surprisingly care little for data, at least in the role I'm in...
It was a fun language, and I felt it was pretty easy to pick up and powerful for what you were able to get out of what seemed like a small bit of code. Nice work, NZ!
Wait, what...?!?
Tell us more, please?