Kākāpō population grows with 90 chicks
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The gist
Ninety kākāpō chicks were officially added to the population on 1 September, a record high. The milestone brings the critically endangered parrot's total to 325 birds.
Background
The kākāpō is a flightless, nocturnal parrot endemic to New Zealand, once abundant but driven to near extinction by introduced predators like cats and stoats. By the 1900s, they were nearly extinct, and the Kākāpō Recovery Programme began in 1995 with just 51 birds. Their breeding is triggered by intermittent mass fruiting of forest trees like rimu, which provides food for mothers and chicks. The 2026 breeding season was the biggest on record, with 90 chicks reaching independence, boosting the population from 235 to 325.
How it unfolded
- 1995The Kākāpō Recovery Programme began with a population of just 51 birds.
- 2026 breeding season79 female kākāpō nested, 258 eggs were laid, 106 chicks hatched, and 90 chicks reached 150 days old, a milestone marking independence.
- Sep 1, 2026The 90 chicks were officially added to the kākāpō population, raising the total from 235 to 325 birds, a record high.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Deidre Vercoe, operations manager for the Department of Conservation's Kākāpō Recovery Programme, said 'to blow through that 300 population mark just knocks my socks off' and called it 'fantastic.'
- Conservationists
- Despite the record numbers, conservationists note the kākāpō remain critically endangered, with the population still small and vulnerable.