Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II

Kākāpō Files II 18 | Good Kākāpō Things Take Time

Six months after this record-breaking kākāpō breeding season began, all 91 living chicks have fledged and left the nest. The chicks remain with their kākāpō mums and are still being fed by them, as well as eating a range of plant material, and as cold wet midwinter weather sets in the chicks are learning to find dry roost sites. The Kākāpō Team’s Daryl Eason and Andrew Digby answer listener questions, including why did Kākāpō cam star Rakiura spend so much time in the nest digging, what can you learn from a piece of egg shell, and could old museum specimens be a source of lost kākāpō genes? Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to kakapo@rnz.co.nz In this episode: 02:06 – Island news with ranger Daniella Whitaker 06:21 – Update on Kākāpō Cam star Rakiura 11:43 – Sick kākāpō 15:19 - Are kākāpō smart? 18:19 - Previous nest cams 20:05 - Why did Rakiura dig so much in her nest? 24:00 - Do kākāpō compete with other species? 25:30 - Kākāpō on Coal Island and at Sanctuary Mountain Mangatautari 30:57 - Museum specimens and lost genes Learn more: * Follow the Kākāpō Files [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/kakapo-files] podcast to keep up to date * Listen to the Voice of the Kākāpō series [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/voice-of-the-kakapo] for a recap of the 2019 breeding season. Also listen to the episodes covering the interim 2022 breeding season [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/kakapo-files/season-1/bonus-episode-2022-a-boomer-year-for-kakap], and about how a few male kākāpō have fared in the North Island, in the fenced Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/kakapo-files/season-1/ocw-a-year-of-mainland-kakapo] * For more New Zealand science and nature find and follow the Our Changing World [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/ourchangingworld] podcast, and subscribe to the show’s monthly newsletter [https://radionz.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=211a938dcf3e634ba2427dde9&id=81ad21bafe] Guests: * Kākāpō ranger, Daniella Whitaker, Kākāpō Recovery Programme [https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/kakapo-recovery/] * Kākāpō technical advisor, Daryl Eason, Kākāpō Recovery Programme [https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/kakapo-recovery/] * Kākāpō science advisor, Andrew Digby References: Kākāpō Files is made in collaboration with the Department of Conservation’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme. [https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/kakapo-recovery/] Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/wild-sounds?share=ddcb33cb-2485-42c3-91bb-b9036f962cef]

Kākāpō Files II 17 | Kākāpō Adoption Birds

Half of the chicks from this record-breaking kākāpō breeding season have fledged and left their nests for good, but are still being fed by their mums. The tally of living chicks has dropped to 92 with the death of a chick from Te Kākahu/Chalky Island. Veterinary advisor Lydia Uddstrom reports that a 4-year-old female is being treated for cloacitis, a mysterious infection with no known cause that has infected a number of birds in the past few years. Kākāpō rangers give potted histories and breeding season updates for nine birds that are part of a symbolic adoption programme. Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to kakapo@rnz.co.nz. In this episode: 00:00 – Introduction 01:00 – Vet Lydia Uddstrom with island news 06:24 - Adult female Tōrua treated for cloacitis 11:20 - Adoption birds 13:22 - JEM breeding season update 15:57 - Marama breeding season update 18:14 - Waikawa breeding season update 21:28 - Nora breeding season update 24:24 - Bluster Murphy breeding season update 27:05 - Sinbad breeding season update 29:55 - Kuia breeding season update 32:48 - Rahotu breeding season update 35:05 - Rangi rediscovered 37:50 - Closing credits Learn more: * Follow the Kākāpō Files [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/kakapo-files] podcast to keep up to date * Listen to the Voice of the Kākāpō series [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/voice-of-the-kakapo] for a recap of the 2019 breeding season * Also listen to the episodes covering the interim 2022 breeding season [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/kakapo-files/season-1/bonus-episode-2022-a-boomer-year-for-kakap], and about how a few male kākāpō have fared in the North Island, in the fenced Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/kakapo-files/season-1/ocw-a-year-of-mainland-kakapo] * For more New Zealand science and nature find and follow the Our Changing World [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/ourchangingworld] podcast, and subscribe to the show’s monthly newsletter [https://radionz.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=211a938dcf3e634ba2427dde9&id=81ad21bafe] Guests: * Kākāpō veterinary advisor, Lydia Uddstrom, Kākāpō Recovery Programme [https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/kakapo-recovery/] * Kākāpō ranger, Jess Wagner, Kākāpō Recovery Programme [https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/kakapo-recovery/] * Kākāpō ranger, Sarah Little * Kākāpō ranger, Theo Thompson References:… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/wild-sounds?share=0dcfa006-e3d0-449a-85a6-a7e8616d5968]

Kākāpō Files II 16 | Kākāpō Chicks Growing Up

The tally of confirmed living kākāpō chicks goes down with two further deaths, but gets a welcome boost with the confirmation of a living chick in a previously inaccessible nest. This brings the number of living chicks to 93, ranging in weight from 770 grams to nearly 2.5 kilograms. On all three kākāpō breeding islands, the oldest kākāpō chicks are fledging and leaving their nests. They are still accompanied and fed by their mothers, but find their own shelter. Before chicks leave the nest for good, kākāpō rangers visit to insert microchips as a permanent identification, and to attach transmitters that enable the Kākāpō Team to locate the chicks and monitor their activity levels remotely. Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to kakapo@rnz.co.nz. In this episode: 00:00 – Introduction 02:34 – Big chick Huhū-A1 using a special ramp to leave the nest 05:23 – Ranger Petrus with the latest island news 06:44 - A chick is finally confirmed in Rimu’s cliff-top nest 10:09 - Two more of Waa’s chicks die so latest living chick tally is 93 11:46 - Update on Pearl-B3 and sick chicks 13:17 - Chick transmitters 19:55 - Tanē Davis on Ngāi Tahu’s relationship with kākāpō 27:35 - Vet Lydia Uddstrom and Vori’s story 32:34 - Closing credits… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/wild-sounds?share=a3fc6288-cfd2-49cd-bcfd-b4f1d8727140]

Kākāpō Files II 15 | Kākāpō Island Diary

Alison Ballance spends a week on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, one of three kākāpō breeding islands. She follows rangers from DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme as they go about their daily and nightly nest visits to check on the rapidly growing chicks. All but one of the 23 nests on Whenua Hou have just a single chick, as the rimu fruit has failed to ripen and kākāpō mums are relying on supplementary food to raise their chicks. During the week, the chick Queenie-A3 is found dead, and there is news from Pukenui/Anchor Island of another chick dying in a flash flood that swept through the nest. Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to kakapo@rnz.co.nz. In this episode: 00:00 – Introduction 01:12 – Sick chick Pearl-B3 05:32 – Chick check at Suzanne’s nest 09:53 – Young male booming 11:18 – qPCR sex testing 14:11 – Chick check at Tiaka’s nest 17:44 - Dead chick Queenie-A3 20:16 - Nest controller and the ‘train station’ 24:18 – Supplementary feeding 27:25 – Chick dies in nest flood 29:05 – Heather’s nest check & closing thoughts 33:42 - Update on Pearl-B3 35:22 - Closing credits… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/wild-sounds?share=4013bdcb-3287-415d-92bb-0cb53f4fc78f]

Kākāpō Files II 14 | Biggest Kākāpō Breeding Season

DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme says that the 2026 kākāpō breeding season is officially the biggest on record, and that all chicks have now hatched. At least 256 eggs were laid in 80 nests, of which at least 106 hatched. There are currently 99 chicks alive, three of which are being treated at the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital for various health problems. The oldest chick, Tīwhiri-A1-2026, is 46-days old and weighs 1.8 kg, while the youngest chick, Awarua-A3-2026, weighs 26 grams at 2-days old. Operations manager Deidre Vercoe says that preliminary sexing results show that about 40 percent of the chicks are female, and that rangers are starting to give the older chicks a permanent microchip for identification. Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to kakapo@rnz.co.nz. In this episode: 00:00 – Introduction 01:16 – Deidre Vercoe with final nest and egg numbers 05:41 – Final chick hatching numbers 11:09 – Planning ahead 13:45 – Dunedin Wildlife Hospital vet Dr Lisa Argilla 20:32 – Rimu fruiting & its role in breeding 27.30 – Supplementary feeding on Whenua Hou 32:10 - Closing credits … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/wild-sounds?share=e146dc6e-2f63-4581-9516-e184e4c725c9]