🕒 Created · Updated

Deidre Vercoe confirms record population increase for endangered kakapo parrots in New Zealand

The New Zealand Conservation Department added 90 chicks to the kakapo parrot population on September 1, bringing the total count to 325 birds. This marks the first time the population has exceeded 300 birds in approximately 75 years. The increase follows a record breeding season fueled by an abundance of rimu berries after a four-year gap between breeding cycles. Deidre Vercoe, the department's kakapo recovery operations manager, stated that producing 90 chicks in a single season is a record, noting that it took 16 years to produce that many chicks during the early years of the recovery program. The species is critically endangered and is the world's only nocturnal, flightless parrot. Conservation efforts began in 1995 with a51 birds. The program currently manages three breeding populations on predator-free islands. To reduce intensive management, the program trialed new approaches this season, including remote nest technology and reduced supplementary feeding. Modeling suggests the next breeding season may occur as early as 2028.

Sources

Paywall and unreadable sources