In our last issue we carried a news item from New Zealand about the discovery in the wild of a male kakapo (Strigops habroptila) more than 20 years after it was last seen.

In this issue we are delighted to report on the progress of 21 kakapo chicks which were taken to a special hand-rearing facility in Invercargill in April, to secure their chances of survival. The chicks are among the 34 which hatched on Codfish Island / Whenua Hou – north west of Stewart Island / Rakiura – this breeding season, bringing the critically endangered kakapo population to 125.

When the chicks hatched on the island in February, insufficient rimu fruit had ripened for all 27 mothers to be able to feed their offspring, so 21 of them were moved to Invercargill to be hand reared.  The kakapo recovery team worked round the clock for three months to ensure the survival of the chicks – the younger ones needing at least 10 feeds a day, and the older ones needing to be fed only five times a day.

In July, the Department of Conservation (DOC) announced that the last four of the hand reared chicks had been returned to Codfish Island from Invercargill.  90 days old at that stage, the chicks were due to spend up to six weeks in temporary outdoor pens while they were weaned off the hand-rearing food and onto natural vegetation.  Each kakapo would then be fitted with a tracking transmitter and slowly introduced into the wild in small groups around the island.

The kakapo (or night parrot) is one of New Zealand’s unique treasures, and with only 125 known surviving birds, it is listed internationally as a Critically Endangered species.  The New Zealand Department of Conservation describes the kakapo as large, flightless and nocturnal – an eccentric parrot which can live for decades.

It is not closely related to other parrots and, in fact, has a combination of biological features not shared by any other species. The kakapo is the only representative of a unique sub-family, Strigops habroptilus, and the softness of its plumage is represented in the second part of that scientific name. With mottled moss-green feathers, camouflage is the bird’s main form of defence.

While there are still risks for these chicks, as there are for any young animal when it goes out on its own, being on predator-free Codfish Island under the ever-watchful eye of a team of dedicated DOC staff means they are as safe as they can be.

The Kakapo Recovery Programme is a partnership between the Department of Conservation, Rio Tinto Alcan New Zealand and Forest & Bird.

www.kakaporecovery.org.nz
www.doc.govt.nz

Editor’s Note: No photographs are yet available of the kakapo chicks which hatched earlier this year.  The photographs shown are from the library of the New Zealand Department of Conservation.

Gulliver (37 days) and Kuia (40) days - Maud Island - April 1998

Suzanne with foster chicks "W1" (45 days) and "W2" (50 days) - Codfish Island - April 2002 © Don Merton

Jean feeding chicks "J1" (47 days) and "J2" (50 days) - Codfish Island - April 2002 © Don Merton