Kākāpō Files II 20 | Kākāpō Numbers Soar
About this episode
The episode discusses the record increase in the kākāpō population and the details of the latest breeding season.
The biggest kākāpō season on record has come to an end, with a bumper number of chicks reaching the milestone of 150 days old. The 90 chicks have boosted the kākāpō population from 235 birds to 325, an increase of more than a third. The 2026 season saw 48 kākāpō mums produce living chicks, fathered by 32 dads. The ‘top dad’ was 10-year Tūterangi, breeding for the first time, who fathered 10 chicks with six females. Ten chicks were fathered with the help of artificial insemination. DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme reports that not all of this year’s chicks will be named, and that they expect the next breeding season to be in two years’ time. Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to kakapo@rnz.co.nz . In this episode: 00:00 – Introduction 01:42 – Deidre Vercoe announces 90 chicks and population of 325 kākāpō 04:45 – Naming kākāpō 06:00 – Daryl Eason on the identity of the dads 10:27 – 10 chicks fathered through artificial insemination 15:59 – Andrew Digby on stepping back from intensive management 18:20 – next breeding season in 2028 24:43 – Deidre Vercoe on predator-free habitats 28:58 - Closing credits… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
More episodes of Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II
- Kākāpō Files II 19 | Kākāpō Goings On
- Kākāpō Files II 18 | Good Kākāpō Things Take Time
- Kākāpō Files II 17 | Kākāpō Adoption Birds
- Kākāpō Files II 16 | Kākāpō Chicks Growing Up
- Kākāpō Files II 15 | Kākāpō Island Diary
- Kākāpō Files II 14 | Biggest Kākāpō Breeding Season
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