...a group of researchers (geneticists, biologists, ecologists) has concluded. The New Zealand kakapo parrot (Strigops habroptilus), which is an endemic, flightless species not particularly keen on mating, has maintained good genetic health for 10,000 years, despite inbreeding.

It is estimated that before humans arrived in New Zealand, the kakapo population numbered in the hundreds of thousands, until in 1995 only around 50 were counted. This year (2021), researchers estimate the population size to be around 200 individuals. The most important conclusion of the study is that over 10,000 years, given their isolation and reclusive lifestyle, these birds have lost, rather than "gained", harmful gene mutations.