The efforts are paying off: the kakapo is returning to mainland New Zealand

The efforts paid off
Kakapos return to mainland New Zealand

July 19, 2023, 8:30 am

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Native to New Zealand, the fat, flightless kakapo parrot is critically endangered. So far, this extraordinary bird has managed to survive only on a few islands devoid of predators. Therefore, the transfer of four birds to the mainland is considered a milestone.

One of New Zealand’s most unusual birds has returned to the mainland for the first time in 40 years, the Department of Conservation (DOC) said. Four male kakapo were brought from Codfish Island off the South Island to the Waikato region of the North Island. .

The world’s only chubby, flightless and nocturnal parrot, the EPA writes, is “one of the most well-known and rarest species” in the country. Rats, prickles, cats and other animals brought by settlers have brought them to the brink of extinction. In 1995, only 51 kakapo (Strigops habroptila) were counted, said Deidre Firko, DOC expert.

But the authority’s decades of efforts with Māori have paid off: their number has doubled since 2016, and by 2022 the number has risen to 252 specimens. “So far, the Kakapo has only managed to survive on a few offshore islands free of predators, so now that they’re back on the mainland is a huge achievement for everyone involved,” Virko said.

British zoologist Mark Carwardine once wrote that the Kakapo is “the world’s largest, largest and most flighty parrot”, adding: “It is as affectionate as a dog and as playful as a kitten, and can inflate itself with air until it breathes.” . To take on the size and shape of a football.”

It is impossible for visitors to see the animals

Since there are no mammals in New Zealand, birds haven’t had to adapt to these enemies either: they live on the forest floor, lay their eggs there, can’t fly — and haven’t evolved any defense strategies. The name consists of the Maori words “kaka” (parrot) and “bo” (night).

And now animal rights activists have to find out if the parrots can thrive in a protected, fenced area after they’ve been moved. At the same time, it would be almost impossible for visitors to spot the animals because they are “masters of camouflage,” Virko explained. “It is an important milestone to be able to hear their distinctive calls to ‘boom’ in the Waikato region for the first time in generations,” she said. Kakapo makes deep grunts. And one more thing unique: the scent of moss-green parrots, flowers, and honey.