About this episode
This episode discusses the increase in kākāpō chicks and the management strategies being implemented for their recovery.
The number of kākāpō chicks has climbed to 54, with plenty more fertile eggs still to hatch on Whenua Hou and Pukenui/Anchor Island. Remote monitoring technology shows that seven kākāpō mums on Te Kakahu/Chalky Island are likely raising chicks as well. DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme is using a genetic ranking system to prioritise how much management attention each chick receives – Kākāpō Cam star Rakiura, for instance, is foster mum to a silver chick and also a gold chick. The oldest chick, Tiwhiri-A1, is ranked gold and a ground-breaking new portable PCR that allows rapid sex-testing of chicks on the islands has shown that he is a male. Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to kakapo@rnz.co.nz In this episode: 00:00 – Introduction 01:00 - Maddy Whittaker with egg and chick updates 03:50 – Males are stopping booming 08:00 – Rimu fruit ripening 08:40 – Chick and hatching deaths 09:30 – Updates on Alison, Queenie & Cyndy, & Tiwhiri-A1 14:46 - Andrew Digby on genetic ranking system for chicks 21:20 – Sex-testing chicks using PCR 25:25 – Alyssa Salton with kākāpō egg 101 29:58 - Closing credits… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
People in this episode
Guests: Maddy Whittaker, Andrew Digby, Alyssa Salton
Topics covered
- kākāpō recovery
- chick updates
- genetic ranking
- remote monitoring
- sex-testing
- egg management
Keywords
- kākāpō
- chicks
- genetic ranking
- PCR
- egg updates
- monitoring technology
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: DOC
Places: Whenua Hou, Pukenui/Anchor Island, Te Kakahu/Chalky Island, Rakiura, Tiwhiri-A1
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
- Kākāpō Baby Boom · February 23, 2026 · 21 min
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