First mating of the 2026 #kakapo breeding season! True to form, it was Pearl and Boss on Whenua Hou, who mated on the night of 28th Dec. They were also the first two to mate in the last two breeding seasons. We're expecting a bumper year, so follow for updates! #conservation #parrots

In 2025 we marked 30 years of the Kākāpō Recovery Programme. Kākāpō ranger and artist Sarah Little (www.instagram.com/sarahmaylittle) tells the story. Part 1 of 2: the history. #kakapo #conservation #parrots #birds

The Whakatipu #takahe breeding season is off to a good start, with approx 6 nests in the Greenstone and several from the new population in the Rees. www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-r... Great pic by takahē ranger Lisa van Beek. #conservation #rails #birds

Stoked that the Kākāpō Files from Radio NZ will be back this summer. Follow to hear how this #kakapo breeding season - likely to be the biggest ever - unfolds! #conservation www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...

Great to be on Whenua Hou last week, helping attach GPS tags to #kakapo ahead of the breeding season. We caught up with Rakiura - whom we're hoping will use the same nest for the 7th time. That's unusual - kākāpō normally don't re-use nests. #conservation #parrots

Looking for a different gift idea this year? How about a #kakapo adoption? Adoptions are open again until 25th Nov, with postage or email options. These fund a significant proportion of our programme and make a real difference to the #conservation work we do. Thanks! www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/kak...

We're not feeding #kakapo on Anchor Island this year: with a big rimu mast predicted, we're expecting them not to need help. It's also part of our plan to reduce management intensity. #conservation #parrots

#kakapo breeding starts with the feeding. For the last month we've been putting out food on Whenua Hou to get the adults into breeding condition. We need the males fat enough to boom and the females heavy enough to produce eggs (although not too hefty or their chicks will all be males). #parrots

Sad to report that we've lost another #kakapo, and a particularly significant one. Solstice was the last kākāpō rediscovered, found on Rakiura in 1997. She died on the weekend as a result of complications from the #disease cloacitis. There are now 237 kākāpō left. #conservation #parrots #birds

We’re getting ready for a very large #kakapo breeding season this summer - and hoping avian influenza doesn’t arrive at the same time… 🤞🏻 #conservation #birds #parrots #disease www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The #kakapo population has dropped to 238. Adult female Lisa was found dead on Anchor Island recently, and two of the 2019 cohort, Tūmanako and Whakakini, have not been since since then and so have been removed from the official count. #conservation #parrots #birds

This is one of the best shows about #kakapo I've ever heard. Well worth 20 mins of your time. Lots of kākāpō facts and endearingly entertaining. Well done Henry! #conservation podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/e...

Huge news! Having spent a while studying #kiwi pukupuku, this got me very excited. Finding a remnant mainland population of LSK is probably more significant than finding more #kakapo. Huge respect to those involved and particularly the hunter who found them. www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-r...

We've lost female #kakapo Kuihi, who was euthanised at Dunedin Wildlife Hospital following weight loss and diagnosis of severe abdominal abnormalities. A reliable (foster) mother, she'll be sorely missed, especially in breeding seasons. There are 241 kākāpō left. #conservation #parrots

Next stop, #kakapo! We’re also working with @dnature.bsky.social to use qPCR in the upcoming 2026 kākāpō breeding season. We’re hoping to use a simple bill swab to sex chicks at a very young age on the islands, so we can prioritise their care as soon as possible. #conservation #genetics

Knowing the sex of #takahe chicks as soon as possible is important for efficient breeding management. With a new rapid #qPCR sex test developed by @dnature.bsky.social , we can now determine the sex of up to 48 chicks in less an hour in the field. A game changer! #conservation #genetics

Our team have been working hard changing transmitters on all ~90 #kakapo on Whenua Hou, including Vori. Catching kākāpō can be tricky - especially since they often roost up trees. #conservation #parrots Pic: Maddy WhittakerA

At their current sites, #kakapo only breed in response to rimu 'masting' (mass-fruiting), which only happens every 2-4 years. The ripe fruit is a 'super food', rich in calcium (and perhaps vitamin D) necessary to raise chicks with large, heavy bones. #conservation #parrots

How do we know that #kakapo will breed next year? Each autumn, we inspect rimu trees: if more than 10% of branchlets are developing fruit, then there'll be a rimu 'mast' and kākāpō will nest. This year the counts are the highest we've ever seen, which means most females should breed. #conservation

It's that time again! After a 4 year wait, we're predicting a big #kakapo breeding season this coming summer (early 2026). It's an exciting opportunity for us to reduce the intensity of our #conservation management methods. Read more here: blog.doc.govt.nz/2025/06/27/k... #parrots #birds

You can't see me, right?! Our ranger team are currently on Whenua Hou changing transmitters on the #kakapo population. This used to be an annual job, but will be less frequent now due to new #technology. This great photo of Rakiura was taken by ranger Maddy Whittaker. #conservation #parrots

We attempt artificial insemination in #kakapo mainly to maintain genetic diversity. A new study describes how in 2019, with a team of German experts from @jlugiessen.bsky.social, we were successful for the first time in a decade. #conservation #parrots dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...

The #disease cloacitis has affected at least 47 #kakapo over the last 20 yrs, so finding a cause is a high priority. A new study led by @rebeccakfrench.bsky.social & ‪@jemmageoghegan.bsky.social has found that a strain of E. coli might be responsible. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

There are only 242 #kakapo today, but they were once one of #NZ's most common birds and lived in all mainland forests. Lessons from fossils in a new study by @manaakiwhenua.bsky.social can help us find new habitat. #conservation www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379125001076 📸 S.Latimer

We're delighted that Daryl Eason, our team's guru who's worked with #kakapo and #takahe for 30+ years, has been recognised for his huge contribution to #NZ #conservation. It's very richly deserved: both species owe so much to his efforts. Ka rawe Daryl! www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3607...

Great to be back on Anchor Island in Fiordland for a brief visit. The rimu is looking good: with record fruit counts we’re gearing up for a big 2026 for #kakapo! #conservation #parrots

Just spent two days trapping on beautiful Cooper Island in Dusky Sound in Fiordland #NZ. Great project led by RealNZ to restore the island’s biodiversity. Maybe one day there’ll be #kiwi and #kakapo here again. #conservation

Conflict between threatened species is a good problem to have... #conservation #takahe #rails www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

We're down to 242 #kakapo in the world after the recent death of Aria, a young female on Whenua Hou. Her activity dropped and we found her dead soon after, cause of death unknown. The population will likely drop further before a big bump next year. #conservation #parrots #birds 📸: Maddy Whittaker

The juvenile #kakapo Tuarima was released back onto Whenua Hou today after 5 weeks' treatment for the #disease cloacitis ("crusty bum"). Big thanks to the team at Dunedin Wildlife Hospital for their excellent care. #conservation #parrots #birds

A milestone: #kakapo mating calls have been heard on the North Island of NZ for the first time in over a century. At least 2 of the 3 #kakapo males at the fenced sanctuary of Maungatautari have "boomed" this summer. #conservation www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-r... Video: www.scienceagency.co.nz

Some of the #takahe in the Greenstone population (near Queenstown) have wandered out of the valley into the neighbouring catchments. This dispersal is natural, and we're not planning to relocate them. #conservation #birds www.odt.co.nz/southland/gr...

Our efforts to establish a new #takahe population in the Greenstone Valley (near Queenstown) have been set back by 4 recent deaths - potentially by a single stoat. Last week we found female Reina freshly dead. Efforts to trap the stoat are ongoing. #conservation www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-r...

Just in case you'd forgotten that birds are dinosaurs.... These are #takahe: a large, flightless rail found only in New Zealand. There are about ~530 left - including 18 in a brand-new population formed last month in the Rees Valley near Queenstown. #conservation #birds

New #kakapo T-shirts & bags, upcoming rimu counts and long-lost birds: check out the latest from Kākāpō Recovery in our newsletter. newsletters.doc.govt.nz/t/i-e-fjhhjd... #conservation #parrots #birds

Those in NZ: you can see #kakapo and #takahe on last night's Fiordland episode of Endangered Species Aotearoa on TVNZ. Streaming on TVNZ+ #conservation #birds

Our team on Te Kākahu/Chalky Island have recaptured male #kakapo Te Awa, who's been missing for 6 years having dropped his transmitter. He was in great condition and it's good to have track of him again with a possible breeding season next year. 📷: Petrus Hedman #conservation #parrots #birds

Kumi the #kakapo has been found dead near his bowl (display site) on Pukenui/Anchor Island. There was no clear cause of death, but a fight with another male is possible given the location and timing. The population is now 243. 📷: Maddy Whittaker. #conservation #parrots

Last week we released 18 #takahe to start a new population in the Rees Valley, near Queenstown, NZ. There will be challenges, but it's an exciting step towards establishing self-sustaining wild populations, and a great example of collaborative #conservation. www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-r...

Our team have been checking on the #kakapo on Pukahereka/Coal Island, in south-west Fiordland, New Zealand. This is the newest kākāpō island, established last year and currently containing 13 males. Here's Kenneth, by ranger Maddy Whittaker. #conservation #parrots #birds

Happy New Year #kakapo followers! Ready to launch into 2025? By the end of this year we'll probably be jumping into a big breeding season. Look out for confirmation in March/April, when we count the fruit of the rimu tree - their breeding food. #conservation #parrots #birds

Kākāpō 101 No. 6. #kakapo usually nest in holes, such as in hollow logs, under roots of trees or amongst rocks. Occasionally they'll nest under vegetation. Often the nests aren't weather-proof or safe for eggs and chicks, so we'll modify them to make them safer. #conservation #parrots #birds

Last week we released 7 #takahe into the Murchison Mountains. The Murchison Mts population would decline to extinction without supplementation, so we've been topping it up to near-capacity with captive-reared, wild-trained takahē. Video: Lisa van Beek. #conservation

Flying out of the Murchison Mountains last week after a #takahe survey. The valley with the lake on the left is Takahē Valley, hallowed #conservation ground in New Zealand: it's where takahē were rediscovered in 1948 after 50 years of presumed extinction.

Last chance to adopt a #kakapo for this year! Adoptions close this Sunday. Thanks to everyone who's adopted or donated so far: it makes a real difference to the #conservation work we can do. www.doc.govt.nz/adopt-a-kakapo #parrots Photo: DOC

Great to get into the Murchison Mountains to survey for #takahe last week. Every 3-4 years we do a foot survey to estimate numbers. We'll know results soon, but initial signs are promising, with many areas having higher numbers than in previous years. #conservation #rails

Kākāpō 101 No. 4. #kakapo mate for a very long time: often 45 mins and sometimes over an hour. For many bird species, mating takes just a few seconds. This is the male's sole contribution to the breeding process. #conservation #parrots #birds

Kākāpō 101 No. 4. Unlike most birds, #kakapo don't breed every year. They only breed every 2-4 years, when trees such as the rimu (a conifer) produce lots of fruit (or "mast"). This slow breeding is one of the reasons they're critically endangered. #conservation #parrots #birdsA

Kākāpō 101 No. 3. #kakapo are (probably, nearly!) entirely vegetarian. They eat nearly all plant matter: leaves, fruits, roots, bark, moss, fungi.... #conservation #parrots #birds

Kākāpō 101 No 2. #kakapo have surprisingly large wings for a flightless bird. They use them for balance when climbing and feeding in the tree canopy. #parrots #conservation #birds