CONSERVANCY OF THE PHOENIX INC

KAKAPO
(Maori for "Parrot of the night")
THE WORLD'S MOST ENDANGERED PARROT


A NOTE FROM AOTEAROA (NEW ZEALAND)
LAND OF THE LONG WHITE CLOUD


30 April 2003
Kakapo to leave the Marlborough Sounds
The last five kakapo on Te Hoiere (Maud Island) in the Marlborough Sounds are due to
leave next month for a new island home in Fiordland.

Trevor Kakapo
Photo credit: Doc New Zealand

 

3 February 2003
The good news is that all 86 kakapo, including the 24 juveniles
from last year are alive and in good health.

6 November 2002
Mt Bruce Icon Dies
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Whats-New/presult.asp?prID=897

Daisy the Campbell Island teal who died last week at the National Wildlife Centre at Mt Bruce
will long be celebrated as the national icon that saved her species from extinction.

13 August 2002
Names have now been given to all of this year’s 24 kakapo chicks – 15 females and 9 males.
Get the details directly from DOC New Zealand
http://www.kakaporecovery.org.nz/news/update-aug13-2002.html


The nesting season come to a close

"Here on the island the weather is cold, wet and windy. Only two nests (Sue and Cyndy's) still have nestminders and they are doing a great job in spite of the weather and the Codfish mud. We still have a lot of staff here as all the chicks are still being weighed every two nights. there are now about 14 people in the hut, down from the high of 35 a month ago"

Letitia
Kakapo Programme Officer
Whenua Hou
NEW ZEALAND DEPT. OF CONSERVATION

Click the photo below and read the May 05, 2002 update on the Kakapo chicks.

FOR UPDATES DIRECT FROM NEW ZEALAND
JUST CLICK THE PHOTO BELOW

To listen to the Kakapo call click the musical button at the right of the photo.
(Real Player needed)

 
Photo credit: © New Zealand Department of Conservation.


Kakapo Chicks - Hauturu, Aranga and Ellie
Photo by Gideon Climo © New Zealand Department of Conservation.


Photo credit: © New Zealand Department of Conservation.


Photo credit: © New Zealand Department of Conservation.

In 1997 there were only 50 of these magnificent parrots on the planet. The Kakapo is found ONLY in New Zealand and is the world's largest parrot weighing in at around 8 pounds. Kakapo is flightless and emits a very strong scent of a musky mix of flowers and honey odor. Kakapo is nocturnal and has a mating call of a booming bull frog type sound that can be heard for miles.

As a result of the heroic effort of the New Zealand Conservation department, many volunteers and supporters, as of Feb. 28 2002 there are now 69 Kakapo's with additional eggs expected to hatch soon. Destruction of the habitat and the invasion of human introduced predators have driven this wonderful laid-back parrot to the edge of extinction. New Zealand is to be commended for efforts to to restore the Kakapo population and recover its habitat. Comalco Ltd. of Zealand has contributed more than 2 millon $NZ to the Kakapo recovery program.

 
The above graphic is an artistic adaptation of an artwork presented in the LIMITED EDITION collectible book
50 RAREST BIRDS OF THE WORLD
presenting the work of world-renowned wildlife artist Blake Lawry Twigden
Published by Inventas Media Ltd. of New Zeland (all rights reserved)
The modification of the original artwork and its presentation here is at the grace and permission of Inventas Ltd., NZ
The original artwork does not contain the light flare or the text. The artistic adaptation is the work of the Conservancy of the Phoenix.

VISIT INVENTAS MEDIA LTD.
Just click the graphic above.

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KAKAPO NEWS
Courtesy of the New Zealand Department of Conservation

SEVEN KAKAPO CHICKS ON CODFISH
28 Feb 2002

Seven kakapo chicks have now hatched on the Whenua Hou Nature Reserve on Codfish Island. Department of Conservation Kakapo Recovery Team leader Paul Jansen said the seven chicks (as of 9am, 28 February) were healthy and faring well. This takes the world population of kakapo to 69.

“We are expecting another two eggs to hatch over the next 12 hours. There are 22 other confirmed fertile eggs aged 10-25 days and we expect these to hatch at about day 30.

“In addition, we are expecting four other new nests,” Mr Jansen said. “One highlight of the season so far is that Hoki is sitting on an egg. Hoki is the first chick to be handreared in captivity to ensure her survival, and then released into the wild of an island sanctuary.

“Hoki is a very special bird to the kakapo team and her successful mating with a male is a delight. It shows us that the handrearing of chicks has not hindered their breeding abilities or desire to mate.”

The breeding season on the southern island continues to shape up as the most successful yet. The progress the Comalco-sponsored Kakapo Recovery Programme over the last decade has allowed in enabling birds to be in top condition for breeding, and being able to help mothers, eggs and chicks if required is a major factor in the success of this season. Mr Jansen said there also continues to be plentiful food on the island for the chicks due to the abundance of rimu fruiting.

The sponsorship is run through the Threatened Species Trust Programme, of which the Department, Comalco, Forest and Bird, the New Zealand Conservation Authority, and corporate sponsors of other species programmes are partners.