What if...flightless parrots on Zealandia developed into a sapient race?

In this alternate history of life on New Zealand, humans never encountered New Zealand and introduced rats and other invasive species. This allows the parrots bound to the ground to continue to develop and increase in size, like we see in Heracles inexpectatus. As ocean levels lowered and exposed the rising continental shelf of Zealandia, the grounded parrots expanded into the open plains and became taller and more ostrich-like, while branching into omnivory like the Kea before them, and developing sapient intelligence as they became more efficient hunters. Their primary feathers have also developed a much thicker rachis, with a pair of primaries becoming opposable, for more secure gripping, and more precise manipulation. The muscles attached to them have become more more developed, and the vanes have become smaller and more robust to act like finger pads. And finally, their zygodactyl toes have become little more than bony struts to support their fleshy pad, allowing them to be more stable while standing and walking, despite losing its manipulative dexterity.

I just kinda like theorizing about what would happen if some paravians become sapient. While there's a lot said about Troodontids like Stenonychosaurus forming an ancestral clade for sapient theropods, I don't see a lot about sapient parrots, especially from New Zealand, so I more or less made an ostrich-kea and called it a speculative species! I had fun drawing this Big Bird wannabe though, so here you go!

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Hope you enjoy!
~ Bonkie

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