The severely threatened kakapo have commenced their initial reproductive period in four years, officials revealed.(Image credit: Liu Yang/Getty Images)ShareShare by:
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A critically imperiled, flightless parrot type is procreating for the first time in four years within New Zealand, authorities declared on Jan. 6.
Kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus) represent sizable, flightless, nocturnal parrots showcasing a blended green and yellow plumage; these birds solely procreate every two to four years. Their reproductive cycles are initiated by the copious fruiting of the rimu tree (Dacrydium cupressinum), an indigenous conifer that can endure for over 600 years.
“It consistently generates enthusiasm when the breeding season formally gets underway; however, this year, it seems particularly protracted following such an extensive gap since the prior season in 2022,” remarked Deidre Vercoe, operations manager overseeing kākāpō recovery at New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, in an issued statement.
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These avian creatures encountered critical endangerment around the mid-1900s due to human encroachment throughout New Zealand. Rigorous management has augmented kākāpō numbers from a mere 51 specimens over the past 30 years; however, only 236 kākāpōs persist in the wild presently, encompassing 83 reproductive females. Every bird is fitted with backpack radio transmitters to oversee their whereabouts and actions. The majority of kākāpō females nurture one hatchling per reproductive term.
The 2026 reproductive season holds potential for producing the most hatchlings since record-keeping initiated 30 years prior, according to the declaration. Nevertheless, the kākāpō recovery initiative emphasizes assuring these avians can sustain themselves — beyond the number of hatchlings generated.
“Kākāpō are still critically threatened, hence, we will proceed in endeavoring to elevate population figures, yet, prospectively, hatchling numbers do not solely define our accomplishment,” Vercoe conveyed. “We aspire to establish robust, self-maintaining kākāpō populations that flourish, exceeding mere survival. This infers that with each fruitful breeding season, we are aiming to diminish the extent of intensive, hands-on stewardship, with the goal to revert to a more inherent state.”
In prior years, being hand-raised by humans resulted in several kākāpōs imprinting on humans, rather than peers from their kind. One, designated Sirocco, garnered attention when it endeavored to copulate with the head of a zoologist during documentary filming regarding the birds in 2009. This event spurred inventive rangers into formulating a latex “kākāpō ejaculation helmet,” Stuff publicized in 2018.
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This term, to curtail intervention, the cohort intends to permit more eggs to hatch within kākāpō nests, in lieu of incubators, and minimize their interaction with nests harboring more than one chick.
Throughout the reproductive period, male kākāpō aggregate to construct path systems and recesses that amplify their resonating mating vocalisations. Each evening, spanning weeks or months, their calls allure females to this collective locale, termed a lek. Following mating, the female kākāpō solely incubates eggs and raises the chicks.
Authorities anticipate the season’s initial hatchlings to emerge around mid-February.
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Skyler WareSocial Links NavigationLive Science Contributor
Skyler Ware functions as a freelance science journalist, delving into chemistry, biology, paleontology, and Earth science. She held the position of a 2023 AAAS Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellow at Science News. Her contributions have further materialized in Science News Explores, ZME Science, and Chembites, amongst others. Skyler possesses a Ph.D. in chemistry from Caltech.
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