{"id":2190421,"date":"2026-03-21T06:00:31","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T05:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/?p=2190421"},"modified":"2026-03-13T13:57:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T12:57:39","slug":"critically-endangered-kakapo-parrot-has-standout-breeding-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/critically-endangered-kakapo-parrot-has-standout-breeding-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Critically endangered k\u0101k\u0101p\u014d parrot has standout breeding season"},"content":{"rendered":"

A total of 59 healthy k\u0101k\u0101p\u014d\u00a0chicks have hatched over the last few weeks, according to the latest tally by Aotearoa New Zealand\u2019s Department of Conservation. This marks one of the most successful recent breeding seasons for this critically endangered bird, whose last breeding season was four years ago.<\/p>\n

The k\u0101k\u0101p\u014d (Strigops habroptilus<\/em>), a flightless bird in the parrot family endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand, has a total population of 236 adults, up from a low of just 51 individuals in the 1990s. Around the same period, the surviving birds were relocated to three predator-free Aotearoa New Zealand islands \u2014 Whenua Hou, Pukenui and Te K\u0101kahu-o-Tamatea \u2014 but they\u2019ve still struggled with low reproduction rates.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery new chick brings the species further from the brink of extinction,\u201d Deidre Vercoe, the Department of Conservation\u2019s operations manager for k\u0101k\u0101p\u014d, told Mongabay by email. \u201cThere\u2019s always a sense of hope and optimism for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

K\u0101k\u0101p\u014d only breed in years when the native rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum<\/em>) tree produces a heavy crop of fruits, which happens every 2-4 years.<\/p>\n

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\"A
A chick named T\u012bwhiri-A1-2026, born on Feb. 14, was the first k\u0101k\u0101p\u014d to hatch in four years. Image courtesy of Lydia Uddstrom\/New Zealand Department of Conservation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So far this year, 140 fertile eggs have been identified and 52 healthy chicks were born, with an extra seven chicks assumed via remote technology. The data are shared with the public every Friday, with an uploaded photo of the tally\u00a0written in marker on the department\u2019s refrigerator.<\/p>\n

Though more chicks may hatch over the next days and months, they likely won\u2019t all survive. The breeding season record was in 2019, with 73 fledglings.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuccess is not just about the number of new chicks. We want to create healthy, self-sustaining populations of k\u0101k\u0101p\u014d that are thriving, not just surviving,\u201d Vercoe wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cK\u0101k\u0101p\u014d are among the most intensively monitored species on the planet, and while numbers are so low, intervention to ensure the best chance of success has been critical,\u201d she added. \u201cAs the population grows, we will begin to step back on some of the more hands-on management so we can begin to understand what a more natural level of survival looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n

The long-term goal is to restore the species to parts of its former range across New Zealand. Rakiura, an island in southern New Zealand, was once home to k\u0101k\u0101p\u014d and is considered one of the most promising sites for reintroduction. However, invasive species would need to be removed before the birds can be safely returned.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of our future aspirations through Predator Free Rakiura is to return the k\u0101k\u0101p\u014d back to its original home,\u201d T\u0101ne Davis, a representative with the K\u0101k\u0101p\u014d Recovery Group for Te R\u016bnanga o Ng\u0101i Tahu, the governing M\u0101ori body in the region, said on\u00a0social media.<\/p>\n

This article<\/a> by Shanna Hanbury was first published by Mongabay on 9 March 2026. Lead Image: An adult k\u0101k\u0101p\u014d named Alice and her chick Rupi. Image courtesy of Jake Osborne\/New Zealand Department of Conservation.<\/i><\/p>\n

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