A Kākāpō Recovery Group meeting was held in December and there was much to discuss.  Among the listed topics was ‘future sites for kākāpō’.  Now that there are 154 kākāpō the need to find further suitable habitat is more pressing.  The current breeding islands  are nearing capacity, but will provide enough habitat for another breeding season.  Beyond the next season, more space will be required.  It is not easy to find suitable kākāpō habitat.  A site needs to be large - at least 30 hectares per bird - and preferably able to hold more than 30 birds.  The site also needs to have optimal vegetation for kākāpō - such as dense podocarp forest.  Most importantly, the site needs to be safe for kākāpō - so predator numbers must be extremely low or ideally absent.   The team are currently investigating several island sites in Fiordland.  Along with seeking advice from the Recovery Group, we are also working on this important strategic direction with Ngāi Tahu, as kaitiaki for the kākāpō.

In December, members of the team attended and gave three presentations at the Australasian Wildlife Management Society conference.  It was a great opportunity for networking and learning about new conservation techniques.  The Kākāpō team were presented with the AWMS ‘Practitioners award’ for outstanding practice in wildlife management.  The award was given in recognition of the team’s success in managing 2016’s breeding season.

Our celebrity kākāpō Sirocco's transmitter is down! Despite search efforts he is currently missing.

Ranger Freya checking for kākāpō on Anchor Is.

Dusky the kākāpō chick. Photo by L. Bolitho

Receiving the AWMS Practitioners award

Sirocco the super star... off the radar! Photo:Sirocco at Zealandia by Janice McKenna

Ngāi Tahu

Ngāi Tahu has strong cultural, spiritual and traditional associations with the kākāpō and partner with DOC in the management of this taonga species. Through their Deed of Settlement, Ngāi Tahu have a representative on the department's Kākāpō Recovery Group.  Tune in next newsletter for an introduction to Tane Davis, who currently fills this roll.

Meridian Energy

Following on from a successful advertising campaign, our National Partner, Meridian Energy, has produced a couple of videos full of kākāpō facts.  It’s great to have partners on board committed to working with us to help raise awareness of this unique parrot.  Don’t the children from Titahi Bay Primary School have a great knowledge of kākāpō? Watch the videos to see how much you already know.

Forest and Bird

Forest & Bird has long standing partnership with Kākāpō Recovery, administering funds and providing advocacy support.

Some of Forest & Bird’s Kiwi Conservation Club (KCC) kids in Wanaka have been hard at work for the Kākāpō Recovery programme.

Lulu, Annie and Nico picked plums and baked muffins then went to work selling them to raise funds for kākāpō. In just a couple of hours they raised $111. Great work girls!

Kiwi Conservation Club kids fundraising for kākāpo

Scenic Hotel

Scenic Hotel Auckland are ongoing supporters of the program and recently provided another generous donation. The Hotel sells soft toy kākāpō, each representing an individual from the current population. All the proceeds go to the KRP. Some of our team recently visited the hotel and were greeted by a lobby featuring many soft toy kākāpō and enthusiasm from the hotel staff. A massive thanks to Scenic Hotel Auckland for their ongoing support!

Scenic Hotel selling kākāpō soft toys

This photo shows ranger Arab on Stewart Island in 1980 holding 'Mandy', the first female kākāpō seen in the 20th century.

Today there are 74 known female kākāpō!

    Graph of kākāpō population over time

Ranger Arab holds kākāpō Mandy. Photo by E.Samuellson

GPS transmitter testing

The movements of kākāpō after dark are poorly understood.

Although they’re traditionally thought of as solitary birds, we occasionally do find them close together.

We want to know this to help understand disease risk.

Kākāpō with transmitter

Cloacitis update

After many kākāpō on Whenua Hou showed potential signs of cloacitis (“crusty bum”) in July last year, the team is checking all birds on the island four times in 2017, rather than once as usual.

Deidre Vercoe takes blood from kākāpō Jane  

Breeding

There is no anticipated breeding during the upcoming summer, for any of the kākāpō islands.

The breeding indicators (fruit abundance) for the kākāpō islands were low.

Jason climbing a rimu tree to check fruiting

Our team is busy recruiting.  Four roles were changed in order to keep up with the shifting priorities of the programme as the kākāpō population grows and the number of kākāpō sites expand. We hope to have people in these roles to introduce you to in the next newsletter!

Kākāpō Recovery is thrilled to announce that we've partnered with FLOAT to bring you limited edition t-shirts that will be available late May. For every shirt sold, FLOAT will donate $8 to Kākāpō Recovery to help us look after kākāpō.  

An exciting new education resource will be launched in May this year.

Very little sign of fruit on the rimu

Art exhibits featuring kākāpō

Tamatea - Art and Conservation in Dusky Sound
Riverton: Te Hikoi Southern Journey from March 7.

Nationwide: The exhibition will travel nationally.

Kākāpō artwork by Jo Ogier, Tamatea exhibition