Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II

Six months after this record-breaking kākāpō breeding season began, all 91 living chicks have fledged and left the nest. The chicks remain with their kākāpō mums and are still being fed by them, as well as eating a range of plant material, and as cold wet midwinter weather sets in the chicks are learning to find dry roost sites. The Kākāpō Team’s Daryl Eason and Andrew Digby answer listener questions, including why did Kākāpō cam star Rakiura spend so much time in the nest digging, what can you learn from a piece of egg shell, and could old museum specimens be a source of lost kākāpō genes?Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to kakapo@rnz.co.nzIn this episode:02:06 – Island news with ranger Daniella Whitaker06:21 – Update on Kākāpō Cam star Rakiura11:43 – Sick kākāpō15:19 - Are kākāpō smart?18:19 - Previous nest cams20:05 - Why did Rakiura dig so much in her nest?24:00 - Do kākāpō compete with other species?25:30 - Kākāpō on Coal Island and at Sanctuary Mountain Mangatautari30:57 - Museum specimens and lost genesLearn more:Follow the Kākāpō Files podcast to keep up to dateListen to the Voice of the Kākāpō series for a recap of the 2019 breeding season. Also listen to the episodes covering the interim 2022 breeding season, and about how a few male kākāpō have fared in the North Island, in the fenced Sanctuary Mountain MaungatautariFor more New Zealand science and nature find and follow the Our Changing World podcast, and subscribe to the show’s monthly newsletterGuests:Kākāpō ranger, Daniella Whitaker, Kākāpō Recovery ProgrammeKākāpō technical advisor, Daryl Eason, Kākāpō Recovery ProgrammeKākāpō science advisor, Andrew DigbyReferences:Kākāpō Files is made in collaboration with the Department of Conservation’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The tally of confirmed living kākāpō chicks goes down with two further deaths, but gets a welcome boost with the confirmation of a living chick in a previously inaccessible nest. This brings the number of living chicks to 93, ranging in weight from 770 grams to nearly 2.5 kilograms. On all three kākāpō breeding islands, the oldest kākāpō chicks are fledging and leaving their nests. They are still accompanied and fed by their mothers, but find their own shelter. Before chicks leave the nest for good, kākāpō rangers visit to insert microchips as a permanent identification, and to attach transmitters that enable the Kākāpō Team to locate the chicks and monitor their activity levels remotely.Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to kakapo@rnz.co.nz.In this episode:00:00 – Introduction02:34 – Big chick Huhū-A1 using a special ramp to leave the nest05:23 – Ranger Petrus with the latest island news06:44 - A chick is finally confirmed in Rimu’s cliff-top nest10:09 - Two more of Waa’s chicks die so latest living chick tally is 9311:46 - Update on Pearl-B3 and sick chicks13:17 - Chick transmitters19:55 - Tanē Davis on Ngāi Tahu’s relationship with kākāpō27:35 - Vet Lydia Uddstrom and Vori’s story32:34 - Closing credits…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme says that the 2026 kākāpō breeding season is officially the biggest on record, and that all chicks have now hatched. At least 256 eggs were laid in 80 nests, of which at least 106 hatched. There are currently 99 chicks alive, three of which are being treated at the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital for various health problems. The oldest chick, Tīwhiri-A1-2026, is 46-days old and weighs 1.8 kg, while the youngest chick, Awarua-A3-2026, weighs 26 grams at 2-days old. Operations manager Deidre Vercoe says that preliminary sexing results show that about 40 percent of the chicks are female, and that rangers are starting to give the older chicks a permanent microchip for identification.Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to kakapo@rnz.co.nz.In this episode:00:00 – Introduction01:16 – Deidre Vercoe with final nest and egg numbers05:41 – Final chick hatching numbers11:09 – Planning ahead13:45 – Dunedin Wildlife Hospital vet Dr Lisa Argilla20:32 – Rimu fruiting & its role in breeding27.30 – Supplementary feeding on Whenua Hou32:10 - Closing credits…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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.nzIn this episode:00:00 – Introduction01:00 - Maddy Whittaker with egg and chick updates03:50 – Males are stopping booming08:00 – Rimu fruit ripening08:40 – Chick and hatching deaths09:30 – Updates on Alison, Queenie & Cyndy, & Tiwhiri-A114:46 - Andrew Digby on genetic ranking system for chicks21:20 – Sex-testing chicks using PCR25:25 – Alyssa Salton with kākāpō egg 10129:58 - Closing credits…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The first chick of the 2026 kākāpō breeding season has successfully hatched on Pukenui/Anchor Island. DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme reports that Tiwhiri-A1-2026 hatched in foster mother Yasmine’s nest on 14 February 2026 and is the first kākāpō chick in four years. Huhū-A1-2026 is due to hatch on Whenua Hou imminently. Sixty-two kākāpō nests have been found so far and the egg tally is nearly 200, of which 78 are known to be fertile. More eggs are expected. Alison Ballance visits Whenua Hou, meets some of the kākāpō rangers and reports on the technology that enables the Kākāpō Team to conduct 24-hour surveillance on each bird. Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to kakapo@rnz.co.nz.In this episode:00:00 – Introduction00:50 - First chick hatches04:28 – Nest and egg updates06:26 – Kākāpō technology07:26 – Nest tech11:22 - The train station13:32 - Nest controller16:09 - Morning updates18:28 - Closing credits…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

More than three-quarters of female kākāpō of breeding age have mated so far, and the number of nests is growing rapidly. Kākāpō operations manager Deidre Vercoe tells Alison Ballance that 101 eggs have been laid to date, and while it is early days 38 eggs are known to be fertile. As always, infertile eggs are a major problem, although science advisor Andrew Digby explains that recent research shows that many eggs are in fact fertilised but die in the first day or two. And Deidre says that the Kākāpō Recovery Programme takes threats such as the fungal disease aspergillosis, failure of the rimu fruit to ripen and the possible arrival of highly pathogenic bird flu in New Zealand very seriously.Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to kakapo@rnz.co.nz.In this episode:00:00 – Introduction00:57 – Mating update03.28 – Nesting update and 101 eggs09:13 – Bird of the Week: Kākāpō Cam star Rakiura10:34 – Egg infertility12:12 – Threats including aspergillosis and bird flu14:15 - Closing credits…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

There have been 24 kākāpō matings so far, and the number is increasing as mating action heats up on all three breeding islands. Deidre Vercoe, from the Kākāpō Recovery Programme, tells Alison Ballance that some 7-year-old birds from the 2019 breeding season have mated for the first time. The first female to mate this season, Pearl, has laid infertile eggs, but nightly activity monitoring shows that three more females have started nesting. Technical Advisor Daryl Eason talks about the under-achievers, founder kākāpō that either haven’t bred at all or have produced only a few chicks.Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to kakapo@rnz.co.nzIn this episode:00:00 – Introduction00:51 – Mating updates03:06 - Nesting updates06:27 - Artificial insemination progress10:40 - Male under-achievers14:09 - Female under-achievers15:26 - Closing creditsLearn more:Follow the Kākāpō Files podcast to keep up to date.Listen to the Voice of the Kākāpō series for a recap of the 2019 breeding season. Also listen to the episodes covering the interim 2022 breeding season, and about how a few male kākāpō have fared in the North Island, in the fenced Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari.For more New Zealand science and nature find and follow the Our Changing World podcast, and subscribe to the show’s monthly newsletter.Guests:Andrew Digby, Science Advisor, Kākāpō Recovery ProgrammeDaryl Eason, Technical Advisor, Kākāpō Recovery ProgrammeKākāpō Files is made in collaboration with the Department of Conservation’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

It’s the New Year and we’re in the early days of a big kākāpō breeding season. Daryl Eason from the Kākāpō Team tells Alison Ballance that Esperance and Ian are the second kākāpō to mate, and he expects that any minute now there will be plenty more birds mating. The kākāpō population drops to 236 birds. Science advisor Andrew Digby explains why every living kākāpō has had its genome sequenced, and what genes can reveal – including why some kākāpō have olive feathers and others are bright green. And we meet over-achievers Flossie and Blades.Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to kakapo@rnz.co.nzIn this episode:00:00 – Introduction00:38 – Daryl Eason with news of the second mating of the season, what Pearl is up to and a death05:10 – Andrew Digby talks genomes and feather colour12:10 – Super breeders Flossie and Blades14:08 – Closing creditsLearn more:Follow the Kākāpō Files podcast to keep up to date.Listen to the Voice of the Kākāpō series for a recap of the 2019 breeding season. Also listen to the episodes covering the interim 2022 breeding season, and about how a few male kākāpō have fared in the North Island, in the fenced Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari.For more New Zealand science and nature find and follow the Our Changing World podcast, and subscribe to the show’s monthly newsletter.Guests:Andrew Digby, Science Advisor, Kākāpō Recovery ProgrammeDaryl Eason, Technical Advisor, Kākāpō Recovery ProgrammeKākāpō Files is made in collaboration with the Department of Conservation’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

It’s the summer solstice and we are waiting for kākāpō breeding to begin. Alison Ballance chats with island ranger Maddy Whittaker, who reports that on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island all the male kākāpō are in full voice, booming all night to attract the females, who haven’t shown any interest yet. The action hasn’t yet ramped up on Anchor Island. Alison also meets three key people from the Kākāpō Team, and hears about their first-ever kākāpō encounters.Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to kakapo@rnz.co.nzIn this episode:00:00 – Introduction00:42 – Kākāpō ranger Maddy Whittaker with updates on what the male birds are up to on the islands05:09 – Technical Officer Daryl Eason talks about his first kākāpō encounter and what makes these birds so unique09:41 – Operations Manager of the Kākāpō Recovery Programme Deidre Vercoe remembers her first kākāpō meeting13:44 – Science Advisor Andrew Digby talks about meeting his first kākāpō16:00 – Daryl Eason predicts when the breeding season might begin…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In 2019 Alison Ballance followed the bumpy, rollercoaster ride that was the kākāpō breeding season. Now she returns, six years on, to do it all over again. We'll meet familiar characters, of both the human and bird kind, as well as new faces. Will the chicks born in 2019 start to breed? How will the team fare with a more hands-off approach? Will the deadly aspergillosis that surfaced in 2019 return? And with the rimu mast predicted to be big, could this be the most successful breeding season yet? First episode drops 16th December. Don't miss it. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Tiny plants that live on the underside of sea ice form an upside-down garden that feeds krill and is the base of the Antarctic food web.This episode was first released on 16 July 2020.To see images and read more about this episode, visit the RNZ website here: Voices from Antarctica: Under the iceGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Alison Ballance eavesdrops on the songs of the world's southern-most mammal, the Weddell seal, and finds out about sea ice.This episode was first released on 2 July 2020.To see images and read more about this episode, visit the RNZ website here: Voices from Antarctica: Seal songsGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Alison Ballance meets a colony of Emperor penguins and their NIWA researchers, and finds out about making water on the frozen continent.This series was first released on 18 June 2020.To see images and read more about this episode, visit the RNZ website here: Voices from Antarctica: Best journey in the worldGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details