The population of the kākāpō, the world’s heaviest parrot, has exceeded 300 birds for the first time in 75 years. This follows a record breeding season, which was triggered by the mass fruiting of a native New Zealand tree.
On 1 September, 90 chicks were officially added to the critically endangered bird population, bringing the total to 325. This marks a record high since recovery efforts for the species began.
Deidre Vercoe, the conservation department’s kākāpō recovery operations manager, stated that the population may not have exceeded 300 birds for as long as 75 years. Kākāpō breed every two to four years when rimu trees produce large numbers of berries, and this year's bountiful harvest followed a four-year wait.
The kākāpō, which is the world’s only nocturnal and flightless parrot, was nearly extinct by the 1900s due to introduced predators. A recovery programme was established in 1995 with just 51 birds, facing challenges with genetic diversity, infertility, and poor chick hatching rates. All three kākāpō breeding populations are located on predator-free islands off New Zealand's South Island.