DOC’s Anita Tibbertsma writes about the 25 year celebrations of Kākāpō Recovery and the launch of a new competition to win a trip to Codfish Island.
“This season the conditions are ripe, it looks like it will be a great breeding season for the Kākāpō Recovery Programme”, Programme Manager Deidre Vercoe explains to the audience gathered at Zealandia to celebrate 25 years of support from New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter (NZAS).
The Minister of Conservation, Maggie Barry and CEO and General Manager of NZAS Gretta Stephens, discuss business with Sirocco
Her words are met with applause, and recognition of the contribution both NZAS, and Kākāpō Recovery partner Forest and Bird, have invested into bringing the kākāpō back from the brink of extinction. Their effort, and the absolute dedication of the Kākāpō Recovery Team and their volunteers, has seen the programme pioneering conservation techniques to become a world class conservation programme.
Clearly the experience of partnering with the kākāpō team has left a lasting impression on the staff of NZAS. CEO Gretta Stephens elaborates in her speech: “I’ll never forget watching the young kākāpō chicks waddle into the darkness on Codfish Island. I can only equate it to saying goodbye to your kids on their first day of school. It’s a moment that stays with you forever.”
CEO and General Manager of NZAS Gretta Stephens, shares her experience of releasing kākāpō chicks on Codfish Island
Stephens continues by explaining NZAS staff continue to volunteer their own time to help with supplementary feeding, nest-minding and maintenance on the kākāpō inhabited islands.
Deidre uses the opportunity for a quick plug, “We still need volunteers this season, so if you are interested get in touch.”
The volunteer experience with the kākāpō, is commonly referred to as an ‘unforgettable’ one.
The event is timed with Sirocco’s visit to Zealandia. Invitees have the opportunity to meet our famous Spokesbird for Conservation and kākāpō ambassador as he completes his six week stint meeting visitors in Wellington.
Kimberley Collins from Forest & Bird, and writer Elizabeth Carlson, join those taking happy-snaps of the gorgeous Sirocco
In the spirit of the celebration, Deidre announced a competition in partnership with NZAS for two friends to be ‘Kākāpō Rangers’ for a day. The winner will travel to Whenua Hou/Codfish Island to meet Sirocco’s kin, and experience the kākāpō story first hand.
“NZAS has really got to know its most vulnerable neighbour the kākāpō and we’d like to share that experience with others,” says NZAS Director External Relations Jennifer Nolan. Kākāpō are very special birds – they are quite mysterious and very spiritual; you feel that wairua/spirit come off them straight away.”
The vision of Kākāpō Recovery is to one day have so many kākāpō that they can be returned to their rightful place in our native ecosystem – kākāpō in the valleys and peaks around our towns and cities, their booming echoing across them at night. It’s a goal that unites all New Zealanders and a goal that we can’t achieve without our partners.
Last month the conservation community lost one of its pioneers. DOC’s Allan Munn writes about the life of Gary ‘Arab’ Aburn…
The recent death of Gary Aburn saddened his many friends and colleagues in DOC throughout the country. He died on 8 September at his home in Whataroa on the West Coast. He was 70.
Gary ‘Arab’ Aburn
‘Arab’, as he was known his whole working life, probably did more than anyone to save the kākāpō. Colleagues said without him, the species may have been extinct today. 86 kākāpō were caught on Rakiura between 1980 and 2000 and Arab caught and relocated 44 of them.
By the 1970s, there were thought to be no female kākāpō left until a colony was found on Rakiura. In 1980, calling on his remarkable hunting and dog-handling skills, Arab caught the first female kākāpō in about 70 years. Only 28 females were ever caught and Arab captured over half of them. This was a turning point for the survival of the species, establishing that females still existed and a viable population was present on Rakiura.
Gary Aburn (left) and Ralph Powlesland (right) tying a radio transmitter on a kākāpō
Born in Northland in 1945, a mechanic by trade, he turned his back on the workshop and took to the hills, becoming a skilled pig hunter. His hunting abilities were remarkable. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he became a meat hunter and during this time, shot and carried out over 2000 deer.
Arab moved to Whataroa in 1987 when he became the seasonal ranger at the white heron/kōtuku colony for the Department of Lands and Survey.
He has also made important contributions to international island predator eradications. He worked on contract for the Wildlife Service, Lands and Survey and DOC on islands such as Little Barrier, Rakiura, Whenua Hou, Enderby, St Pauls (French), Mauritius (British) and Macquarie Islands (Australian).
Gary with a kakapo and his dog in 1982
His last contract was a possum control operation in the Arthur Valley in Fiordland National Park in 2010.
In the last few days of his life, the Minister of Conservation, Maggie Barry, wrote a note to Arab, which he greatly appreciated. It read:
“Thank you so much for all you have done to make such a difference to New Zealand conservation. You have established a legacy that many who follow you will do their very best to uphold.”
Kākāpō on Stewart Island
In his book ‘Last Chance to See’ Douglas Adams described his experience meeting Arab:
“I had no idea what I expected a freelance kākāpō tracker to look like, but once we saw it, it was clear that if he was hidden in a crowd of a thousand random people you would still know instantly that he was the freelance kākāpō tracker. He was tall, rangy, immensely weather-beaten, and he had a grizzled beard that reached all the way down to his dog, who was called Boss.
He nodded curtly to us and squatted down to fuss with his dog for a moment. Then he seemed to think that perhaps he had been a little over curt with us and leant across Boss to shake our hands. Thinking that he had perhaps overdone this in turn, he then looked up and made a very disgruntled face at the weather. With this brief display of complete social confusion he revealed himself to be an utterly charming and likeable man.”
Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See, 1990
Arab with Mandy the kākāpō, the first female Kakapo seen in the Twentieth Century
Arab was a great guy to go on a trip with, clever, tough, always the leader and he’ll be sorely missed by his friends.
Tourism operator Real Journeys diverted from the ordinary Christmas gift-giving this year to support Kākāpō Recovery by ‘adopting’ a few of the the critically endangered parrots.
Ruapeke, one of the last 125 Kākāpō in the world
Based in the South Island, Real Journeys is one of New Zealand’s largest tourism operators. Earlier this year DOC and Real Journeys signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together where there are opportunities to use the tourism and fundraising power of Real Journeys to benefit conservation, which has sparked a number of recent projects.
Bestowing kākāpō adoptions as Christmas gifts to key agents and suppliers was about giving something meaningful in line with the company’s conservation ethos, and supporting a cause close to their hearts.
Altogether, Real Journeys purchased $4,800 worth of kākāpō adoptions for agents and suppliers in New Zealand and key international markets.
Real Journeys’ bond with kākāpō started with the Chicks Day Out in Arrowtown in 2014
Geraldine McMillan, Sales Manager for Australia and NZ said, “We think adoption of a kākāpō as a Christmas gift is a brilliant way to recognise the efforts of our key agents and suppliers and support a worthwhile cause; one that all our staff are very close to. Unlike the usual gifts we give every year, the adoption will actually do good, raise awareness for the kākāpō among the recipients and hopefully will be remembered for a lot longer.”
Real Journeys also raised $37,000 for Kākāpō Recovery by organising the ‘Birds of a Feather’ charity ball earlier in August.
Three of the kākāpō up for adoption
The ‘Adopt a kākāpō’ initiative by Kākāpō Recovery is of course a ‘symbolic’ adoption; the kākāpō is a ‘taonga’ (treasured) species to New Zealand Maori, therefore no-one can actually ‘own’ a bird outright. Anyone can help to protect the world’s remaining kākāpō by symbolically adopting one of the birds featured. Each adoption directly supports efforts to fund health management, supplementary food and annual transmitter changes for the last 125 kākāpo left in the world.
Last week we welcomed our newest kākāpō into the world.
On Thursday 7-year-old female kākāpō Tiwhiri hatched her first ever chick. The chick was discovered by kākāpō rangers on Codfish Island when they viewed Tiwhiri’s nest camera.
It looks like 2016 will be a bumper kākāpō breeding season with many more eggs still to hatch. To date, 30 confirmed fertile eggs have been found, with more nests still to be discovered.
Prior to this breeding season the living population of kākāpō was 125.
Today’s photo of the week is of one of the recent kākāpō to hatch on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island during the 2016 breeding season.
This photo was taken in the hand-rearing room by ranger Jake Osborne.
The first stage of the 2016 breeding season for kākāpō has come to a close, with the last egg of the year hatching last Friday.
This has been the most successful breeding season in the 25-year history of DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme.
Currently, 38 of the chicks are alive and well, although the coming weeks will be crucial as young kākāpō are extremely vulnerable and some may not survive into adulthood.
One of a kind kākāpō t-shirts designed by The Original Thread’s Mel Paul are available this week only on the FLOAT website. For every item sold FLOAT will donate $8 USD to the Kākāpō Recovery Team.
Donations will help in a range of areas, including purchasing essential field and scientific equipment, providing supplementary feed to support breeding birds and to support our on-going research efforts.
Isolated from the rest of the world on a little island in the Pacific, we New Zealanders sometimes do things differently from the rest of the world. This can be great (we pioneered the women’s vote and bungy jumping after all) but it can also be a bit questionable. I’m looking at you stubbies.
Our native species have been in isolation for a long time. As a result, our native species have evolved to develop unusual traits in the animal kingdom.
1. Our native frogs don’t croak
New Zealand has four native species of frog/pepeketua, and none of them can hear a thing you’re saying. Our frogs are different to the rest of the world’s because they don’t have external eardrums – croaking is no good to them. No matter how loudly they croak at their significant other, they’re never going to pass the remote. New Zealand frogs make almost no sound at all, aside from the odd chirp or squeak if they’re harassed.
Instead of having an awkward adolescent tadpole phase, kiwi frogs develop inside an egg and hatch as an almost fully-formed frog. At this stage they aren’t fully independent – most species are reliant on their parents for a wee while yet. The male Archey’s frog, for example, sometimes carries his young offspring around on his back.
Not content with living a communal life and serving their queen, our bees chase the idea of owning their own home instead. They’ll find a mate at the local watering hole (read: flower patch) and create a cell to lay their eggs in after stocking it up with pollen and nectar.
Native New Zealand bee
4. Our native birds don’t fly
Well, lots of them don’t anyway. Take our icon, the kiwi, which looks much more like a mammal than a bird. Not only is it flightless, but it’s feathers are more like fur, it has nostrils on the end of its beak instead of the base, and it even has a bunch of super-sensitive whiskers similar to those of a cat or dog. Most birds could be forgiven for not recognising kiwi as kin!
Kiwi showing off its whiskers
Kiwi aren’t alone either. New Zealand has a plethora of flightless birds, from our giant, flightless parrots the kākāpō, to our flightless swamphens the takahē.
New Zealand’s short-tailed bats/pekapeka seem to have taken a leaf out of our birds’ book and developed a fondness for the forest floor. Instead of using their wings to catch prey in the air, the short-tailed bat does most of its hunting on the ground. It still uses its wings, but as not-so-graceful ‘front-limbs’ for scrambling around.
Not to be part of the status quo, male whio/blue ducks whistle, while females growl. In fact, that’s where they get the name whio, which is Māori for whisle.
Well, apart from one: the egg-laying skink. All of the rest give birth to live young. This is unusual for lizards, and probably due to our cold climate. Lizard mums are also pregnant (technically gravid) for a really long time, with some South Island geckos carrying their young for over a year!
New Zealand’s birds aren’t known for being particularly savvy when it comes to defending themselves from introduced predators.
For a start, many of them can’t fly, a serious disadvantage when your enemies are land-based.
New Zealand’s flighless takahē. Photo: jokertrekker
On top of that, instead of running away when they’re in danger, our birds have evolved to stay still and rely on camouflage to avoid being seen. This might have worked a few hundred years ago when their only predators were other keen-eyed birds, but now they have animals like stoats, possums and rats to worry about. These animals rely on their keen sense of smell to find prey, so freezing on the spot is the opposite of useful.
Camouflaged kākāpō. Photo: Mike Bodie
The nests that New Zealand’s native birds have been successfully raising chicks in for millennia have suddenly become unsafe with the introduction of these new predators too. The problem with the homes of birds like kiwi, kea and kākā is that they’re missing an important feature – a back door.
North Island brown kiwi burrow
A nice hollow log or a burrow in the ground might seem like a great place to lay your eggs. You would be sheltered from the elements and hidden from the view of hungry predators. The problem is, these new, introduced predators don’t hunt with their eyes, they hunt with their noses. This makes it much easier for them to find your cave-sanctuary, and when they do, you’ve got nowhere to go. There’s only one entrance and exit, so if they come in and block it, there’s no way you can escape.
It’s not that our birds are silly, they’re just unprepared. They spent thousands of years on an island without furry, toothed mammals to worry about. New Zealand’s predators were birds like the giant Haast’s eagle, so it made sense to stick close to the ground and raise your chicks in burrows. But when humans came we brought with us some very strange animals. Furry predators with sharp teeth and quick feet. Our birds just haven’t had time to adapt to this new threat yet.
But there is hope. We’ve committed to protecting our native animals with an ambitious goal to rid New Zealand of stoats, rats and possums by 2050. Find out how you can become part of the Predator Free 2050 movement on the DOC website.
Poo matters in conservation. Especially when that poo may have come from an invasive species. This was the case on Whenua Hou recently. Rangers became quite worried when a small dropping was found on the pest-free island sanctuary near Stewart Island. It looked a LOT like a Norway rat poop, which is a worrisome find on an island that is home to vulnerable species like kākāpō.
Mystery poo on Whenua Hou. Photo: Johannes Fischer
Luckily, speedy DNA testing by EcoGene® confirmed that the offending turd was not made by a rat, or any invasive species for that matter. It is most likely a kererū poo. While it is an odd shape to have been made by a kererū, lots of things can change the look of the stool including the bird’s diet and environment.
In light of this, we wanted to share a few other interesting native species poops.
Takahē latrines
This is a bunch of takahē poo, or more accurately, a latrine.
Takahē latrine. Photo: Karlene Taylor
Any collection of takahē dropping in a row like this is called a latrine, and is usually found beside their nest. This makes for easy toilet access when incubating eggs!
Many scientists have spent a lot of quality time with kākāpō stool, which has proven important in researching this critically threatened species. Researchers have analysed their poop to figure out everything from which gut-microbes the birds have, to whether there are dietary triggers to kākāpō breeding.
Seedy bug poo
Most insects, like the New Zealand grasshopper below, are too small to pass seeds in their faeces. However, there is one bug big enough for the task – our very own wētā.
Grasshopper pooping. Photo: Rosalind Cole
Scientists have found that wētā are able to poop viable seeds. The pooped seeds will not only survive, they’re actually more likely to germinate than those that fall to the ground.
Gardener’s gannet guano
Sometimes it can be hard to tell the gannets from the guano. This is a flock of Australasian gannets sitting on a lot of Australasian gannet poo, known as guano (that’s the white stuff underneath them and running down the cliff).
Australasian gannet colony, Muriwai. Photo: Gary L. Clark
Guano is the word used to describe a build-up of seabird or bat poo. You might notice that the grass around seabird colonies like this one is particularly lush. This is because guano makes an excellent fertiliser. Guano is high in nitrogen, phosphate and potassium, which are all essential for plant growth.
Sloppy sea lion stool
Sea lion poo comes in many colours and consistencies. It can come in snow-freeze shapes, blobs or stacks, and is sometimes pasty clay coloured, but can be grey or white. At other times it is black and runny like the stool pictured below. Scientists think this variable poo may be useful in the ocean, as, much like gannet guano, it contains nutrients that promote growth of smaller organisms.
Sea lion guts have lots of bacteria that can break down iron and phosphorus, which are important for phytoplankton growth. These gut bacteria end up in the poo and release the nutrients they don’t need into the sea, making them available for phytoplankton to use.
Just for good measure – sea lion vomit
Not poo, but fairly close-to. Sea lions aren’t able to pass hard things like squid beaks, so they need to vomit to get rid of them. They cough a whole lot and then perform the most spectacular helicopter vomits.
New Zealand sea lion. Photo: Rosalind Cole
Their tendency to projectile vomit is another really good reason to respect a sea lion’s space and keep your distance.
Its reputation might be a bit stink, but poo is awfully useful in conservation. As the lecturer of our senior ranger Ros once said:
“Wildlife management is about three things – counting things, killing things (pests) and looking at poo” – Henrik Moller
Kākāpō are one of New Zealand’s unique endemic species. These huge, endangered, flightless and nocturnal parrots only breed during years when the rimu tree masts (every few years).
With only 149 individuals left and only surviving on three, predator-free offshore islands, kākāpō breeding seasons are highly anticipated by the dedicated Kākāpō Recovery Team who work to save this species.
Kuia on her nest during 2016. : Theo Thompson
Team Technical Advisor Daryl Eason keeps a close eye on the average seasonal temperatures, comparing one summer to another. He’s watching for the patterns that will indicate that we have a potential mast, or mass fruiting, for the rimu trees on Whenua Hou and Anchor Island. Rimu follows a complex four-year pattern. If the summer of year 1 is warmer than average, followed by a cooler than average summer in year 2, then the rimu will produce pollen during the summer of year 3 and finally fruit during the summer of year 4.
The weather patterns are looking good for a potential mast during 2019. Rimu trees on the mainland had high amounts of pollen on them over the summer, and so the whole team has high hopes as ranger Theo Thompson, accompanied by Jono Moore head out to Whenua Hou and Anchor islands to count the green rimu fruit developing on the trees there.
Using ropes, Theo and Jono scale the chosen sample rimu trees on Whenua Hou and Anchor, counting how many tips on certain branches are upturned and hold the tiny beginnings of small green fruit at their tips.
On Whenua Hou the number of fruiting tips varies between branches and between trees, but it is obvious that there is fruit forming, and lots of it.The final total shows that 47% of tips are carrying fruit. This is 10% higher than any results we’ve previously seen for Whenua Hou!
Results from the annual autumn counts on Whenua Hou
On Anchor, the results aren’t as consistent and it’s hard to predict what the average will be. Some trees have very little fruit forming, others quite a bit. We’ve had lower results on Anchor before, which didn’t reflect the sheer volume of fruit that we later saw develop across the island. Perhaps the trees we survey on Anchor aren’t a very good representation of the island as a whole? It’s something to look into for the future.
Results from the annual autumn counts on Anchor Island
A week later and all the counts are complete. The rimu has a huge 30% fruiting tips, which is some three times higher than the results we saw in 2015 which triggered 21 out of 22 adult female kākāpō residents on the island to breed in 2016.
Various stages of rimu fruit developing
Combined these results indicate that we could be in for a huge breeding season next year. Possibly by far the biggest ever seen by the Programme! A harsh winter and strong spring winds may knock developing fruit from the trees, so we’ll recount before the summer, but we’re expecting that most females will attempt to nest. Hopefully we’ll be reporting on the hatching of many new kākāpō chicks in a year’s time!
Dusky as a tiny chick in 2016, being weighed for the first time
Support the kākāpō breeding season
With a big breeding season currently predicted for 2019, your support will help the season’s chicks get the best start to life and will make a big difference to kākāpō conservation. You can make a donation on the Kākāpō Recovery website.
Today marks the 90th anniversary of the death of conservationist Richard Henry who pioneered moving endangered native birds to island sanctuaries, to save them from extinction, more than 120 years ago.
In 1894, Richard Henry was appointed custodian and caretaker of Resolution Island in Fiordland, New Zealand’s first island reserve for native wildlife.
Between 1895 and 1898, he moved 572 kākāpō and kiwi from the surrounding mainland to Resolution Island and neighbouring islands. This was done to save the birds from stoats, ferrets, and weasels introduced to control rabbits that had been introduced to remind British settlers of home.
Remains of Richard Henry’s kākāpō pen on Pigeon Island next to Resolution Island. : Andrew Digby.
Henry, an Irishman, came to Southland in the late 1870s when he got a job shooting rabbits on a sheep station. He’d seen rabbits become a plague, stripping the land of grass and causing thousands of sheep to starve to death.
He then saw the stoats, ferrets and weasels laying waste to kākāpō and kiwi around Lake Te Anau. In 1893, he predicted these predators would wipe out kākāpō altogether. He thought the birds would be safe on his islands. His hopes were dashed when he saw a weasel on Resolution Island in 1900.
By 1906, he’d trapped a ferret and witnessed ferret, weasel and cat tracks on Resolution Island. He knew his rescue efforts had been in vain.
Henry left Fiordland in 1908. He became caretaker on Kapiti Island Reserve until his retirement in 1911. He lived at Katikati, on the shore of Tauranga Harbour, from 1911 to 1922. Then he moved to Helensville at the southern end of Kaipara Harbour from 1922 to 1928.
Left: Richard Henry by his boatshed on Pigeon Island, Dusky Sound Fiordland March 1904. : Hocken Library, Dunedin.
Right: Richard Henry’s grave site Hillsborough Cemetery Auckland. : Kate Lane.
In 1928, he was admitted to hospital in Auckland suffering from dementia. He died of heart failure on 13 November 1929, aged 84. He is buried at Hillsborough Cemetery in Auckland.
Acting Threatened Species Ambassador Erica Wilkinson describes Richard Henry as the Ed Hillary of the natural world in New Zealand. “Henry was the first to move native birds to islands, in an effort to protect them from introduced predators, and he did this 124 years ago.”
Darryl Eason from the Kākāpō Ops Team moving a kākāpō from predator free Whenua Hou. : Deidre Vercoe.
Henry was also the first to use a muzzled dog, a fox terrier named Lassie, to locate the kākāpō and kiwi he moved to the Dusky Sound islands. Today, Conservation Dogs are widely used in New Zealand and around the world. They’re essential for locating native birds like kākāpō and kiwi in thick bush. They’re also trained to detect rats, mice, stoats, ferrets, weasels and even Argentine ants. We’re now also using them to sniff out weeds.
Henry’s hard work to save hundreds of kākāpō and kiwi failed when stoats, ferrets, weasels and feral cats invaded Resolution Island. But the capture and transfer methods he pioneered were eventually used to rescue kākāpō, takahē, tīeke and other native wildlife from the brink of extinction by moving them to predator-free islands.
Kākāpō release on predator-free Hauturu / Little Barrier Island. : Deidre Vercoe.
Erica says that “Henry developed a template for saving endangered native wildlife that we continue to use. And he showed us we would lose our unique native birds to introduced predators if we did not take action.
“Today, the country has embraced Henry’s call to arms. Predator Free communities, businesses and iwi are working to make the whole of Aotearoa safe, so kākāpō may once again boom on the mainland.
“Ninety years after his death, we can honour Richard Henry’s contribution to conservation, and complete his mission, by joining the movement to make New Zealand Predator Free by 2050.”
Find out more about Richard Henry, a forgotten pioneer, in this Stuff article marking the 90th anniversary of his death.
At first glance Nora the kākāpō doesn’t appear particularly different from the other 209 birds in the population.
Nora the kākāpō. : Jake Osborne
Her green feathers are a little sun faded and she has a few distinctive pale feathers around her face but nothing gives away that she’s the longest monitored kākāpō in the world, first discovered on this day 40 years ago. She’s often perched several meters up a manuka, sleeping in the sun. There’s a pile of poop at the bottom of the tree to signify she’s been here a while. This must be her favourite.
The first kākāpō nest of the 20th century
Nora was found in the wilds of Rakiura in July 1980 by renowned kākāpō finder Gary ‘Arab’ Aburn and his black lab Mandy. She was discovered just three months after the first female kākāpō was found on the island. There was worry that the species was functionally extinct so every female found in that first year was hugely exciting, a promise that the species might actually be able to survive.
Nora was named by American biologist Margaret Shepard who was on the team studying the remnant population of kākāpō and collecting data. In 1981 Nora became the first kākāpō to be seen nesting in likely over 100 years. Her nest was closely monitored, and Nora provided many insights into how kākāpō rear their young. She successfully fledged two chicks from this nest: Adler and Zephyr. Sadly, Adler disappeared shortly after fledging (likely eaten by a feral cat) but Zephyr has gone on to become a successful mother in her own right.
Nora in a tree. : Jake Osborne
An irregular breeder, but an important one
Nora is the matriarch of the “Wind Dynasty” of kākāpō (a large family group all descended from Nora), and boasts chicks, grandchicks and great grandchicks, many of whom also have wind themed names.
Genetics work tells us that Zephyr was fathered by Rangi who Nora also mated with in 1985, but she hasn’t visited him again since being moved off Rakiura. Nora only nests during years of big rimu masts but unfortunately her chosen beau for many years was Lionel who had the worst sperm deformities ever seen in a kākāpō. This is likely the cause of her infertile eggs in 1992 and 2002. Nora did however prove to be a good foster mum in these years
Nora successfully bred for the first time in 36 years in 2016, producing two chicks: Kōtiu and Matangi who were both fathered by Blades. In 2019 she nested twice, mating with Tūtoko both times. She was also successfully artificially inseminated with sperm from Sinbad; one of only three kākāpō fathered by Richard Henry, the only bird to survive from Fiordland. Safe to say he carries precious rare genetics. The successful artificial insemination work in 2019, funded by Meridian Energy, that fathered Rahotu was one of the highlights of the 2019 breeding season! Nora reared Rahotu herself, while the three chicks from her first nest were all fostered out to other mothers to rear.
Whenua Hou, where Nora lives today. : Jake Osborne
Forty years of change
Over the 40 years that we’ve known Nora, she’s seen a lot; from the vast scrub of Rakiura with cats decimating the population to the carefully monitored and supported life on predator-free Whenua Hou where she lives today. Nora’s witnessed huge changes in technology too, as we move closer towards the prospect of remotely monitoring the actions of each individual bird. Nora has eaten various diets of supplementary food and provided essential data to hundreds of studies as we’ve worked to learn as much as possible about these birds. From just having found breeding females in 1980 to coming out of a massively successful breeding season in 2019, 40 years has seen a huge change in the outlook of the species.
And hopefully in another 40 years the Wind Dynasty, and maybe even Nora herself, will still be here to see a species back from the brink.
This month we’re celebrating the two oldest known age kākāpō reaching their 40th hatch days!
Zephyr feeding chick Tiwai. : Don Merton.
Heather and Zephyr both hatched on Rakiura during 1981, though we’re not sure of their exact hatch days.
Zephyr was found in Nora’s nest on the 17th of March 1981, at about a week old. The discovery of kākāpō nesting was incredibly exciting and Zephyr and her sibling Adler were closely watched until they fledged, when they both disappeared into the bush. Zephyr was found again 9 years later but Adler was never seen again.
Heather on the other hand was found as a juvenile in 1982. Kākāpō have pointy tips to their wing feathers prior to their first moult. These tips are much more rounded once they grow their second set of feathers and the team who first found Heather noted the pointed tips at the time not knowing what they signified.
Zephyr’s juvenile wing with pointy feathers. : Don Merton.
At the time of Heather’s discovery, kākāpō were being quickly shifted off Rakiura to Hauturu-O-Toi as cats were decimating the population. We suspect this was the fate met by Adler, but luckily Zephyr survived to be shifted to Whenua Hou in 1990.
Both Heather and Zephyr have become successful mums, though Zephyr’s off spring are far more famous, including both Hoki (the first kākāpō to ever be hand reared) and the international superstar Sirocco.
These two girls have quite different personalities. Heather is not a mum to mess with on the nest! She’s very growly and protective of her babies, where as Zephyr as been known to literally climb right over the top of people when she’s returned to her nest and found people there checking on her chicks. However they can both be difficult to catch and were both very quick to get onto supplementary food.
At this stage we don’t know how long kākāpō live for, though there are a number of birds in the population who are definitely older than Heather and Zephyr (such as Zephyr’s parents Nora and Rangi). So happy 40th hatch day to these two, and we hope to celebrate many more!
Rangers Brodie, Bryony and Sarah catch Zephyr on the 7th attempt. : Brodie Philp.
When Ranger Tommy McKerras began his DOC traineeship, identifying kākāpō by their unique personalities wasn’t a talent he expected to develop.
Raised in a timber joinery factory family, his goal was to upskill in hut and bridge building. Two years into his Kākāpō Recovery work, there’s no looking back and Tommy says his special connection to this endangered species is one of the best parts of his job.
Ranger Tommy
This World Ranger Day we’re shining a light on behind-the-scenes people like Tommy and work that supports endemic species’ survival. This includes the tech wizardry that keeps the lights on, the incubators warm and the power flowing in remote places like Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, 71 kilometres off the mainland.
Tommy spent time this week with Neil Smith, an engineer from DOC’s national partner Meridian, checking performance of the batteries which store the solar power. Installed by Meridian before the breeding season, this renewable energy system is critical for tasks that support kākāpō health monitoring like downloading and interpreting transmitter and scales data.
Checking solar power batteries
We’re also using 3D-printed smart eggs that can emit life-like sounds. We’re hoping they’ll trigger a preparation response in kākāpō mums at just the right time. Meridian Energy has made the innovation possible through additional funding provided to help drive this innovation in kākāpō recovery. The technology could be rolled out globally to help other endangered species.
Smart egg
Thanks to ongoing support from partners like Ngāi Tahu and Meridian, we’re celebrating one of the most successful breeding seasons on record.
For Mental Health Awareness Week and for a bit of relief from our everyday stresses, we thought we’d share some stories from the past year that celebrate the fact that nature is well, just nature. There is lots to be concerned about in the world today, but it’s important to take some time away from the information/sensory overload that’s out there and enjoy something a bit light-hearted, positive, funny and entertaining.
Connecting with nature has been shown to improve mental health and wellbeing, so here’s a little mental health boost, our top 5 stories from the last year or so that show the lighter, positive and funnier side to nature, it’s guaranteed to make you feel good!
1) The first ever Kākāpō Cam!
Earlier on in the year we introduced you to our trial of the first ever Kākāpō Cam, an intimate live video stream following a foster parent and her chicks during the breeding season on Whenua Hoa/ Codfish Island. It was an amazing insight into one of our most taonga species and sharing it on a live stream meant raising the awareness of this endangered national icon on an international stage.
The chicks have fledged (fledged in May) and the live stream is turned off, but you can still enjoy the little fluff balls and reminisce from the past season with this neatly packed highlights reel here.
Look how cute they are!
The live stream trial lasted for only 14 days and in that time there were over 200,000 video views, roughly 15,000 views per day! With results like this, we will definitely look in to doing this live stream again, in future breeding seasons!
P.s. If this highlight clip wasn’t enough for you (will it ever be enough though!) here’s a special additional highlight of some chicks at The Wildlife Hospital – Dunedin, showing how mischievousness and funny little kākāpō chicks can be. Hopefully we get to see these kinds of antic on the next Kākāpō Cam!
2) Albatross Faceplant!
This video that will be forever etched into our hearts and minds!
Last year on the Royal Cam live stream someone captured a highlight clip of the adult parent flying in to the nest to visit it’s chick. The video basically speaks for itself, but the important thing is that we get to relive this moment, when the bird faceplants, face-ground lands or SCORPIONS – However you want to describe it or whatever you want to call it, it happened and now we all get to laugh… AGAIN!
P.S – In case you were wondering, the adult bird didn’t sustain any injuries and is doing fine! However, the chick is scarred for life (no it’s fine too).
Since this video was originally shared its gone viral around the world, with multiple news outlets sharing it including The Guardian!
Here are some of our favourite comments from people who find this just as amusing as we do!
The last comment got us good!
Not-so-key takeaway: Like the albatross, sometimes you fall straight on your face, but not matter how experienced you are, you’ve just got to shake it off, pretend like nothing’s happened, waddle away and try again… as everybody in the world laughs at you and views your video millions of times, of course!
Okay, lets move away from birds for now. This isn’t a funny clumsy video or new insight to a special species. This is simply a win for nature. It’s positive stories like this that give us the warm-fuzzies inside!
Bat detectors placed in the Central North Island township of Owhango during June of 2021 found that there was a resident population of critically endangered long-tailed bats (pekapeka-tou-roa) living in the area! With some locals mentioning that they even seen bats a few times flying around at dusk!
What a fantastic result, because they weren’t there before!
These results were achieved with the help of a mix of pest control methods, including both ground based and aerial pest control, and the additional, ongoing help from community groups like Owhango Alive who maintain trapping lines.
This story recap still makes us feel really good today as it shows the serious benefits from positively intervening for our species. Working together with others and giving nature a bit of helping hand we’ve simply encouraged it to well, just be nature again, for us all to enjoy!
Ka pai tīma!
4) Seal breaks into New Zealand home
We’re all aware that seals can turn up in some unusual places, especially during the seal silly season, but last month one Tauranga family were completely surprised to come home to find a seal chilling out in their home traumatising their family cat!
and no, it wasn’t this seal.
or even this seal
We’re talking about this juvenile seal!
For awhile, this story broke the internet, with multiple, international news outlets sharing this family’s unique story.
The curious young seal entered through one of the family’s cat flaps and stayed in the home for about 90 minutes, before the home owner came home, made the discovery and ushered it outside. They then called the 08000 DOC HOT wildlife emergency hotline and reported it to the team there, and later it was safely captured, unharmed and released at the beach by one of our local DOC rangers.
Back to birds! Kea are cheeky, we all know this, but this particular one was EXTRA cheeky and pretty much robbed a family of their GoPro, when they put it down outside on the balcony of the Luxmore Hut on the Kelper Track.
Luckily the GoPro was still rolling and captured the feathered criminal red-handed.
What was captured was some of nature’s best drone photography! The unique perspective shows the travel path of the naughty kea, features another kea glide past and takes us straight to its secret hiding spot where it started taking the GoPro apart! Luckily the boy found it in time and shared the footage!
Even though this kea was naughty it really highlights the special qualities and characteristics of our native alpine parrots. They are curious, inquisitive, clever, oh-so cheeky, and can make your alpine adventures very entertaining!
We hope you’ve enjoyed these light-hearted, funny, positive and entertaining story recaps. Hopefully it’s given you some relief from the everyday stresses and has lifted you up if you were feeling flat.
We’ve got loads more stories like these from previous years, so let us know in the comments below if you’d like us to share more recaps!
Mental Health Awareness Week
This year, Mental Health Awareness Week is all about reconnecting with the people and places that lift you up! It’s been a tough couple of years and it’s been easy to feel disconnected from the people and places that are important to us.
Whether it’s reaching out to someone you have lost contact with, visiting a place that’s special to you or getting outside in nature, we hope you’ll join us this Week to reconnect with the people and places that lift you up to enhance your wellbeing.
Operations Manager for kākāpō, Deidre Vercoe, reflects on the role we (the Department of Conservation) have played in growing the population of this endangered species.
Why do we need to help kākāpō breed?
Deidre candles a kakapo egg. : Andrew Digby
Kākāpō are a taonga (sacred treasure) of Ngāi Tahu. They’re nocturnal, flightless and the heaviest parrots on the planet.
Evidence shows they were once plentiful throughout the country, and they were also an important food source for Māori, and their feathers were prized for cloaks and decoration.
However once more people began to inhabit New Zealand in the 1800s, and ground-based predators such as rats, cats and stoats were introduced, the kākāpō’s inability to fly put them at huge risk.
Because kākāpō only breed every two to four years when rimu trees are fruiting, the population quickly declined due to land clearance and predation.
Alice with her 2022 chick. : Jake Osborne
Searching for kākāpō to save them from extinction
In the 1960s and 70s DOC searched for kākāpō throughout Fiordland and found 18 males, but no females. Then in the late 1970s a population was found on Rakiura/ Stewart Island which included females. Breeding was observed for the first time in living memory, offering hope for their future survival.
How did DOC keep them safe?
Over the next few decades, DOC focused on transferring as many kākāpō to safe sites as possible.
The Kākāpō Recovery Programme was formed by DOC in 1995 to protect the population which by that time was 51 precious birds (50 from Rakiura and one from Fiordland).
All kākāpō currently live in habitats that have been established for them on predator-free islands in the South Island, namely Pukenui/Anchor, Whenua Hou/Codfish and Te Kākahu-O-Tamatea/Chalky islands. Pearl Island is used as a ‘parking site’ for males that are not currently in the breeding programme, and Hauturu-O-Toi/Little Barrier is a trial site to see if they can raise chicks here without supplementary food (and in the absence of rimu).
Ranger Maddie Whittaker on Whenua Hou. : Sarah Little
How many kākāpō are alive today?
During the 2022 breeding season 55 chicks fledged taking the new kākāpō population total to 252, a 50-year high! This is still a very small number, considering that’s all that’s left on the planet, but going from 51 (in 1995) to 252 means we are heading in the right direction.
Kuia. : Jake Osborne
Keeping an eye on kākāpō in breeding seasons
Kākāpō are notoriously good at staying hidden so the recovery team keeps tabs on them by fitting them with tiny backpack-style transmitters. These are changed annually, and with 252 kākāpō now in the population, this is a significant piece of field work that takes over 4 months, with a team of six people.
Kākāpō transmitters. : Sarah Little
Kākāpō smart transmitters log daily activity data. This data is received by a network of data loggers, and then transmitted to a computer by this network, allowing the team to interpret daily activity information. If a bird becomes ill, its activity levels drop significantly, so there is a good chance the team will learn about it remotely and can then investigate.
Kenneth. : Jake Osborne
The science of kākāpō mating
Ranger munches supplejack berries. : Brodie Philp
When rimu is set to fruit and a breeding season is predicted, supplementary feeding stations are set up several months in advance to get the birds in the best condition to breed.
Male kākāpō start ‘booming’ (calling out to females) and activity data on the transmitters shows when mating has occurred (who mated, for how long) and when females start nesting.
On the ground, the recovery team makes camp near nests and installs tech gear at the nest entrance to alert them when anything enters or leaves the nest along with a data logger placed inside the nest, to record when mum is in attendance. This allows rangers to check eggs and chicks when mum is off the nest as well as keeping an eye on how much time mum is spending off collecting food.
Incubation and hand-rearing rooms are made ready, and a team of fit and skilled people cart gear around, interpret data, and put management plans into action.
Chick in the hand. : Andrew Digby
Improving tools to help kākāpō to flourish
As well as having built all the nest technology and developed the remote monitoring systems used, the electronics workshop team at DOC is leading the design of a new transmitter, which will last for at least two years and have a new quick-change harness design. This will reduce the time handling the birds and will improve the range for better remote monitoring.
Understanding how genetics can improve health and breeding success is another area of research. Nine chicks were successfully fathered using Artificial Insemination in 2022, proving that Artificial Insemination is a viable tool to support recovery. Having the full genomes sequenced for all living kākāpō (through the kākāpō125 programme) is leading to increased externally-led research and for more individual-based management of the population.
And to power all of this work, specialised infrastructure/hut and power-systems are needed. Kākāpō Recovery’s National Partner Meridian Energy has played a significant role in upgrading the huts’ solar power systems, making them far more reliable and greatly reducing the reliance on generators on the remote island sites. Meridian continues to contribute their support, aiding the recovery tea m in their innovative solutions.
What’s next for kākāpō?
Ninihi on her 2022 nest. : Jake Osborne
As kākāpō numbers grow, finding new predator free sites is crucial. Planning is underway to establish new habitats as possible, but suitable habitat availability is now our biggest challenge. Watch this space! The recovery programme currently has a reasonably intensive and individual-bird-focused approach, but as the population increases with each breeding season, we are taking steps to reduce this intensity and focus more on the population level. The population has doubled since 2016 – so we’re in an exciting transitional phase for kākāpō. What will the next chapter of their recovery look like?
Together with Ngāi Tahu, Predator Free Rakiura, Meridian, volunteers, community groups, and New Zealanders trapping pests in their backyards, DOC keeps striving to carve a pathway to restore the mauri (lifeforce) of kākāpō in its homeland.
Christmas is just around the corner, and if you’ve ever wondered how to celebrate the kākāpō way, we’ve got you covered with a step-by-step guide!
‘Toiora’ surrounded by pohutukawa flowers : Lydia Uddstrom, DOC‘Stella’ having a nibble : Sabine Bernert
1. Indulge in a bit of Christmas pudding
Some people’s silly season traditions include creeping to the fridge in the middle of the night for a secret spoonful of trifle and day napping, lots of day napping.
Kākāpō are nocturnal, they forage for food at night and tend to siesta on the ground, or roost in trees, during the day. A few, like ‘Nora’, are also quite fond of a nice snooze in the sun on a good day.
Kākāpō slowly lost their ability to fly after years of living in New Zealand with no predators and became the heaviest parrot on the planet.
To avoid joining any ‘heaviest on the planet’ categories, try a bit of nature walking this Christmas in between ‘puds’. Power walking and hill fitness are both great for your health and can take you up to some amazing views.
Although they don’t fly, kākāpō have big strong legs and powerful claws, and they can climb up really tall trees. They’re also excellent hikers who can walk several kilometres at a time and get a great burst of speed on too! ‘Kōhitatea’ the kākāpō is well known for walking from one side of Whenua Hou/Codfish Island to the other in a single night, repeatedly.
‘Ruggedy’ getting in their exercise by climbing a tree : Maddy Whittaker, DOC
3. Visit a remote island
Before humans settled here, kākāpō were widespread on mainland New Zealand. But these days all known kākāpō live on protected offshore island sanctuaries that offer natural vegetation, shelter and safety from introduced mammals such as stoats, cats, rats and mice.
If there’s something lockdown and border restrictions showed us, it’s that many people left parts of New Zealand unexplored in favour of overseas trips. Now, more than ever, Kiwis are taking the time to check out places they’ve never been to, right in their own back yards.
Anchor Island : Jake Osborne, DOC
Although you can’t visit kākāpō on their protected islands, you’ve got options! For a tiny country, we have a crazy 600+ islands – not all of them are visitable, but many are – have a Google! It’s time to go “overseas” and see New Zealand.
: Tama Pugsley
Learn more about kākāpō: Kākāpō are an endangered taonga (sacred treasure) of Ngāi Tahu. Currently there are only 252 kākāpō left on the planet. To learn more about kākāpō conservation and the Kākāpō Recovery Programme click here.
It’s official – a new kākāpō population has been released at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari. This means kākāpō are back living on the mainland for the first time in almost four decades. Let’s take a deeper look into why this is such an important milestone for kākāpō conservation and how it supports our Kākāpō Recovery Programme’s major goal for the species.
Ōtepoti checking out his new habitat after his release into Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari : Karl Drury for DOC
The journey so far
Kākāpō are a taonga (sacred treasure) of the Māori iwi (tribe) of southern New Zealand, Ngāi Tahu. They are also one of the world’s most unique, rare and loved parrots.
Before human settlement kākāpō were abundant throughout New Zealand. Population numbers dropped swiftly due to hunting, introduced predators (particularly stoats, rats and feral cats) and land clearance. Conservation efforts began in 1894, but by the mid-1900s, kākāpō teetered on the edge of extinction.
From the 1950s extensive searches were conducted to find any remnant individuals. By the late 1970s only 18 male kākāpō had been discovered in Fiordland. Then, a breakthrough find – a small population with females on Rakiura/Stewart Island. Feral cats threatened this precious population, so efforts to move these kākāpō to safer, offshore islands began in the 1980s. By 1995 a total of 51 birds were left and relocated, with just 20 living females. DOC established the Kākāpō Recovery Programme with an aim to restore the mauri (life force) of kākāpō.
A throwback to kākāpō conservation: Don Merton holding two kākāpō transfer cages in Esperance Valley, Fiordland 1974 : DOC
Ever since, each kākāpō has been individually managed on predator free islands through intensive monitoring, research, science, technology and breeding programmes.
This work has been supported by treaty partner Ngāi Tahu and national partners Rio Tinto (1990-2015) and Meridian (2016-current). Without it, and the exhaustive conservation efforts of the 1980s, it’s fair to say kākāpō would almost certainly be extinct. Instead, we can tell a collective success story in numbers – the kākāpō population has increased almost fivefold since the programme started in 1995 and has doubled in the last 10 years. There are 248 kākāpō alive today.
So, we are heading in the right direction – but where?
The challenge
This population increase is encouraging news for the species but also presents new challenges.
The predator-free kākāpō breeding islands, Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, Pukenui/Anchor Island and Te Kākahu/Chalky Island are at capacity. Yes – they can have too many kākāpō. High concentration can create physical competition for breeding sites and habitat (kākāpō v kākāpō!) and heightens risks of devastation from disease, pest incursion or natural disaster. As the population grows, it’s also infeasible to continue to manage the species with the same level of intensity that we do now. Finding suitable new habitat is our most pressing challenge and establishing new, low-management populations is the only sustainable answer to secure the future of kākāpō.
Long-term solutions are large-scale predator-free habitats (such as Rakiura/Stewart Island). This outlook relies almost entirely on the success of Predator Free Rakiura and Predator Free 2050. These movements work towards an Aotearoa where our native species are safe from extinction and thrive alongside us; supporting our goal – to return kākāpō to their natural range throughout mainland Aotearoa in unmanaged populations.
For now though, a stepping stone is needed. The number of kākāpō living on the islands needs to reduce before the next breeding season (estimated to occur in 2026 or 2027) and the next, and the next, and the next. Mainland fenced sanctuaries currently provide a potential solution.
Enter, Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari.
A welcome sanctuary
Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari is a 3400-hectare sanctuary in Waikato, and its ecosystem is as close to the pre-human New Zealand environment as it gets. With one of the world’s longest pest-proof fences (47km) it acts as a haven for many of New Zealand’s most endangered species.
Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari : Sue Dela Ru
The sanctuary’s extensive predator control regime paired with palatable plant species, topography and climate make it a suitable mainland habitat for kākāpō. Good site access and infrastructure supports low-cost and low-carbon management for kākāpō, and introducing kākāpō adds further biodiversity value to the site.
Ōtepoti, Motupōhue, Māhutonga and Bunker – four young male kākāpō – were translocated from Whenua Hou/Codfish Island and are now the first kākāpō to trial living at the sanctuary. All going well, another five or six kākāpō could join them before the end of the year. The site will initially be established with a male-only population to test the habitat quality while also taking population pressure off the breeding islands in the south. The new mainland birds are carefully selected males, each from lineages already well represented in the kākāpō gene pool. For now, the females are all needed on the established breeding islands.
DOC ranger Petrus Hedman carrying Māhutonga ahead of the release at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari : Peter Drury for DOC
For our recovery programme, this move offers a valuable chance to learn how kākāpō interact with different plant species and whether they can thrive in the fenced habitat. If so, in future the site may have potential to house many more kākāpō and could function as a breeding site.
Maungatautari Biosecurity Team Leader Owen Woodward leads the procession as the four kākāpō were welcomed to the Sanctuary : Peter Drury for DOC
The undertaking
Getting Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari to the point of being ready to receive the first kākāpō took dedicated efforts from all involved. The concept had been in discussion for more than 15 years. Planning began in earnest with the initiation of the Kākāpō Expansion Project, funded by the International Visitor Levy from 2020.
The Kākāpō Recovery Team works in partnership with our treaty partner Ngāi Tahu, with the support of our national partner Meridian. Together, we joined forces with Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari (supported through their partner Mother Earth) and local iwi, Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Raukawa, Ngāti Hauā, and Waikato Tainui to ensure the success of the translocation.
Co-chair of the Ngāti Korokī Kahukura Trust Rahui Papa blessing the four taonga manu (treasured birds) : Peter Drury for DOC
The major undertaking at the sanctuary ahead of the translocation was modifying its fence to not only keep predators out, but also keep kākāpō in! Kākāpō may be flightless but are very adept climbers and use their wings to break falls from heights.
In 2021 our team undertook trials of fence barrier prototypes to find the most suitable solution. As a result, a strip of colour steel sheet was added halfway up the inside of the fence. This adaptation was added to the external fence over eight months by a team of about 30 Sanctuary staff and volunteers. More than 1500 trap boxes and 50 gates were also modified to be “kākāpō proof”.
The Sanctuary’s pest-free fence, featuring modification to help keep kākāpō in : Supplied
In theory (and in the advance-testing) the fence modification creates a complete kākāpō barrier; but we never underestimate the abilities of a kākāpō! It is possible tall trees could provide avenues for astute kākāpō to escape, so until the birds have fully explored their new site, the true viability of the fence can’t be known. To best manage this risk, vegetation around the perimeter fence has been cut back where possible and kākāpō locations will be closely monitored, including GPS tracking.
Te Rapa and Maniopoto DOC teams prepare to remove vegetation around fence line : Aaron Lunt, DOC
Implementing infrastructure to monitor each bird was another important part of the new site preparation. DOC’s kākāpō rangers spent several weeks on location installing a remote radio network monitoring system while navigating challenges around reception issues and tall trees blocking the solar panels powering the system.
A kākāpō monitoring device on a highpoint in Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari : Jake Osborne
Each kākāpō wears a small, backpack-style transmitter connected to a network which passively listens and collects data, allowing our rangers to check the daily activity of the birds. This system, alongside use of a location-detecting drone, provides ground-breaking methods of monitoring kākāpō and detecting health concerns. This technology reduces the number of labour-intensive health and location checks required and will be one of the most important tools used at the sanctuary to help us learn how the birds are adapting to their new habitat.
Special significance
This step in kākāpō conservation carries great significance and emotion for many with long-time involvement in the protection of the species. In being the first kākāpō to live on the mainland in almost four decades, the unsuspecting manu (birds) have found themselves at the centre of a symbolic moment for conservation, cemented through iwi-to-iwi relations.
To help restore the mauri (lifeforce) of the species, Ngāi Tahu now share these taonga manu (treasured bird) with the iwi and hapū of Maungatautari through the concept of whāngai (to be fostered). As part of the release, Ngāi Tahu officially passed the kaitiakitanga (guardianship) of the living taonga to receiving iwi; Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Raukawa, Ngāti Hauā and Waikato Tainui.
Our national partner Meridian Energy also acknowledges the significance of this translocation and the collaborative work it’s taken to get here. Meridian has been part of the kākāpō recovery journey for seven years now through funding, electrical infrastructure, technology and volunteering support.
Settling in
There are several factors at play when it comes to the success and longevity of this translocation, and every day will provide crucial lessons to help the future of the species. To give the birds the best chance at settling in, they will remain wild and undisturbed, while expert rangers keep a watchful eye on them.
This means the nocturnal, highly cryptic kākāpō won’t be seen by the public on the mainland – Kākāpō a Tinana Mauri Matahunahuna – Kākāpō in the flesh, hidden from the eye. Instead, visitors to the sanctuary will know they are in the presence of the critically endangered kākāpō while having directly contributed towards their care.
Although not visible, the potential to have the kākāpō’s distinctive “booming” and “chinging” calls heard in Waikato for the first time in generations is profound. It’s our hope this symphony of nature will offer a glimpse beyond Predator Free 2050, to a time when the heartbeat of Aotearoa is restored.
Ōtepoti tentatively taking his first steps into his new habitat : Karl Drury for DOC
Get involved
Together with our partners we are grateful for the ongoing commitment from our supporters, both nationally and worldwide. Public donations help cover our operational costs, and engagement from communities far and wide helps to spread the word of this important conservation work.
There are lots of ways you can join the team helping ensure a brighter future for kākāpō:
Conservation for the critically endangered kākāpō dates back 130 years to 1894, when Richard Henry first moved kākāpō to (then) predator free Resolution Island. Today, DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme combines the efforts of iwi, partners, scientists, rangers, volunteers, and donors to continue to protect and restore this taonga species.
Our purpose is to restore the mauri (life force) of the once plentiful kākāpō. So far, efforts have been rewarded and during nearly 30 years of the programme the population has increased from 51 to the 247 kākāpō alive today. It’s a long game with challenges that can be grouped into three main categories; habitat, genetics, and disease.
Kākāpō Advocacy Ranger, Andie Gentle, looks into the first challenge – habitat, and what it takes to find new sites for the growing kākāpō population.
Te Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island | Jake Osborne, DOC
Kākāpō pace
Aotearoa New Zealand’s much adored night parrots come with their own, unhurried pace. Longevity is on their side. The oldest kākāpō known today is at least 51 years old and it is estimated they could live between 60-90 years old. Many kākāpō reach their teens before they start successfully breeding and even then, they only breed once every 2-4 years.
Most of today’s 247 kākāpō live on two Southern predator-free islands which are reaching kākāpō-capacity. With each breeding season, there is an increasing need to find sites to support kākāpō populations into the future. To be suitable, sites need vast native forest, no predators (feral cats, rats and stoats) and the ability to stimulate successful breeding (more on that later).
Kākāpō-pace means each new site trial could take a decade or more to gather the information required. One long-term site trial that has recently been completed was on Te Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island.
Kākāpō Lisa on Hauturu in 2018 | Jake Osborne, DOC
Hauturu & kākāpō
There are only two pest-free islands in New Zealand large enough to sustain a population of kākāpō that are certainly beyond the swimming distance of rats and stoats. One of them, Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, is a successful breeding home to a population of nearly 100 kākāpō. The other is Te Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island.
Hauturu is a sanctuary 80km north-east of Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland. It was New Zealand’s first nature reserve and is now a refuge for hundreds of rare and endangered plants, birds, and animals.
Te Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island | Jake Osborne, DOC
Kākāpō were first translocated to Hauturu in 1982. At the time, there were just 29 known kākāpō and it had become clear that they were being predated by cats on Rakiura/Stewart Island. With the presence of kiore (the Pacific rat) but no feral cats, Hauturu was identified as a safer haven. By the end of 1982, 21 kākāpō had been relocated there. Intensive management and supplementary feeding programmes began seven years later after no breeding had occurred on the island.
Breeding triggers
The only known trigger to stimulate kākāpō breeding today is the mast of the rimu tree. This happens once every 2-4 years on the Southern islands. We can predict a mast in advance by comparing seasonal temperatures year-on-year and counting fruit tips.
To best support the critically endangered kākāpō we supplementary feed them ahead of a breeding season to help them reach top breeding condition. Additional feeding for chick rearing is also required if the mast was big enough to stimulate breeding but didn’t result in enough fruit to sustain chick rearing (which may occur after storms or extreme weather events or if the fruit doesn’t ripen).
Despite the absence of rimu on Hauturu, several breeding attempts were made there in the 1990’s and two chicks were raised with supplementary feeding support. It was the kauri tree that was thought to be the most likely trigger to stimulate kākāpō breeding on the island. Regardless, this was proof that, with support, kākāpō could thrive on Hauturu.
There was just one big problem. The island’s terrain is much more extreme than the Southern islands, making this level of hands-on management logistically challenging.
The rugged terrain of Hauturu, being navigated by DOC rangers and Auckland Zoo team members as they carry out work with kākāpō on the island | DOC.
By 1999 more kākāpō had been discovered on Rakiura and the total population numbered 63. All kākāpō were returned South to help diversify the precious breeding populations that were now active on Whenua Hou and Maud Island. Following the removal of kākāpō, kiore were eradicated from Hauturu and the sanctuary gained pest-free status in 2004.
The trial
With supplementary feeding successful but not feasible on Hauturu, the next step was to learn if kākāpō could breed and raise chicks there without support. In 2012, eight of the total 125 kākāpō at the time were carefully selected by their genetic profiles and breeding history to help us find out. Over the coming years another nine joined the trial.
Seven of this cohort had been on Hauturu before. Notably, all seven returned to their old home ranges on the island within a couple of weeks of arriving back. Two of the returning birds were super-breeders Blades and Flossie, who had each produced the most offspring by a male and female respectively at the time.
Kākāpō Rangers Petrus and Bryony completing a transmitter change and health check on 27-year-old Tiwai on Hauturu, 2022 | DOC
What did we learn?
Unfortunately, the next decade saw limited breeding success on the island. In 2014 Heather was the only female to nest. She only hatched one of three fertile eggs herself and that chick needed support as, by ten days old, it was starving. It was the same poor result in 2016 when Heather and Lisa nested and the only chick to hatch also required support due to lack of food. Lisa nested again in 2021, but her two eggs were infertile.
During the trial period of 12 years, the kauri tree did not produce a heavy crop of seeds as it had in the past. Along with the poor nesting outcomes, this confirmed that while Hauturu is safe for kākāpō, they are unlikely to be productive on the island without supplementary feeding.
Heather’s 2014 chick Mahli pictured while receiving care at Auckland Zoo vet hospital | DOC
Wrapping up the trial
In 2023 it was decided that the kākāpō on Hauturu would be more valuable back on the Southern breeding islands, and the plan is for all to be returned by the end of this year.
It may not be the last time kākāpō live amongst the Hauturu forest, so remnant of primeval New Zealand. Given the long lifespan of kākāpō and the size and pest-free status of Hauturu, the island could play a role in the future security of the population until other safe breeding sites become available.
For now, the island has helped provide valuable data and insights to help manage kākāpō conservation for decades to come.
Left: DOC Ranger Richard Walle. Middle: Jasmine from Auckland Zoo carrying kākāpō before the first transfer off Hauturu, 2023. Right: DOC Ranger Dani completing a transmitter change and health check on Flossie in 2023. All photos by DOC.
It takes a village
DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery team worked closely with iwi (tribe) representatives from Ngāi Tahu and the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust to undertake the trial and the required transfers of the manu between rohe.
Kākāpō are a taonga species to Ngāi Tahu, the principal Māori iwi of southern New Zealand. It is of great significance to iwi when the care and protection of a taonga is transferred. During the Hauturu trial local mana whenua Ngāti Manuhiri took on kaitiaki responsibilities of the manu through the tikanga of whāngai (the concept of fostering).
This trial was undertaken in association with Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund with practical assistance from Auckland Zoo staff and its vet hospital, the New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine. It was also supported by Kākāpō Recovery Programme’s National Partner Meridian Energy and DOC’s National Partner Air New Zealand.
Ngāti Manuhiri and Ngāi Tahu representatives with DOC team members during (left) the first transfer from Hauturu to Fiordland in July 2023, and (right) the second transfer in August 2024. The final cohort of remaining monitored kākāpō on Hauturu will return later this year | DOC.
Moving forward to step back
Two new site trials are underway at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari in Waikato and Coal Island/Te Puka-Hereka in Fiordland, and there are more to come. Like at Hauturu, it will be years before results are known, but it is hoped that more breeding triggers could be discovered along the way.
The last three breeding seasons have been bumper on the Southern islands. The next breeding season is predicted to be 2026 and with more than 80 breeding-aged females, it could be the biggest yet.
Rakiura will be a game changer for kākāpō when it becomes predator free. From there, the goal will be to one day return kākāpō to all their natural ranges throughout New Zealand. Of course, these visions will rely on the success of the country’s predator free movements.
We’ve come a long way since 1894; just imagine Aotearoa after another 130 years of care and protection. Will kākāpō be roaming safe and free among our great-grandchildren?
Anything is possible, even when each day goes at kākāpō-pace.
Kākāpō Lisa on Hauturu in 2020 | Jake Osborne, DOC
Get involved
Together with our Treaty Partner Ngāi Tahu and National Partner Meridian Energy we are grateful for the ongoing commitment from our supporters. There are lots of ways you can help ensure a brighter future for kākāpō.
: Theo Thompson
: Andrew Digby. 
: Jake Osborne
: Don Merton. 
: Long-tailed bat at Knobs Flat 
