About this episode
This episode discusses the recent kākāpō baby boom and the efforts to care for the chicks and their eggs.
Fourteen kākāpō chicks have hatched in wild nests, where they are being cared for by mums and foster mums. More than a hundred viable fertile eggs have already been laid, with more expected in the next couple of weeks. On Whenua Hou, fertile eggs are cared for in incubators to keep them safe and are returned to nests to hatch. DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme has placed a Smart Egg in the nest of Kākāpō Cam star Rakiura, to alert her to the imminent arrival of a pipping egg whose hatching should delight the many fans watching the live video feed. Pukenui/Anchor Island is home to the most kākāpō chicks so far but kākāpō rangers expect Whenua Hou to catch up soon. Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to kakapo@rnz.co.nz In this episode: 00:00 – Introduction 01:15 – Night-time visit to Rakiura’s nest 07:26 - The egg room 11:43 - Seabird danger to eggs 13:05 - Smart Eggs 14:54 – Nest and egg updates 20:20 - Closing credits… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Topics covered
- kākāpō
- wildlife conservation
- egg incubation
- nesting behavior
- bird recovery
- natural habitat
Keywords
- kākāpō
- chicks
- hatching
- incubators
- Smart Egg
- DOC
- Whenua Hou
- Pukenui
- nest updates
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: DOC
Places: Whenua Hou, Pukenui/Anchor Island
More episodes of Kākāpō Files II
- Kākāpō Adoption Birds · May 18, 2026 · 39 min
- Kākāpō Chicks Growing Up · May 4, 2026 · 34 min
- Kākāpō Island Diary · April 20, 2026 · 36 min
- Biggest Kākāpō Breeding Season · April 2, 2026 · 33 min
- Kākāpō Birth Notices · March 23, 2026 · 30 min
- Lots of Kākāpō Babies · March 9, 2026 · 31 min
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