Voice of the Kākāpō

An adventure through the bumpy bumper 2019 breeding season of NZ's rare flightless parrot.

Hosted and produced by Alison Ballance

A green illustration of a Kākāpō's head, side on. The text 'Voice of the Kākāpō' sits in the bottom right corner.

RNZ exclusive

This podcast is only available on the RNZ website and apps, ad‑free and uninterrupted.

Kākāpō - night parrot

Kākāpō - night parrot

Episode 1
The kākāpō is a giant flightless parrot whose fortunes are tied to the rimu tree and to a dedicated team of rangers from the Department of Conservation.
Stella-2-B is a juvenile from the bumper 2019 kakapo breeding season.

Whenua Hou, kākāpō island

Episode 2
The kākāpō team know all the signs are good for a big kākāpō breeding season - the question is exactly how big and when will it start?
Tutū is one of 73 chicks that successfully fledged during the 2019 kākāpō breeding season. Her name means to stand out or be prominent.

Nest checks

Episode 3
Kākāpō breeding is in full swing after an early start, and DOC's Deidre Vercoe and Andrew Digby are checking to see if eggs are fertile.
Deidre Vercoe manages the Kākāpō Recovery Programme at the Department of Conservation.

Promise

Episode 4
Most of the female kākāpō have bred and the team is carrying precious fertile eggs to the 'egg room' for incubation. Meanwhile, on Anchor Island, the rain is falling.
Holding a torch against a kākāpō egg reveals a developing embryo.

Kākāpō sperm takes to the air

Episode 5
The tally of infertile eggs is climbing and the kākāpō team is using artificial insemination - and a drone - to try and counter the problem.
Andrew Digby with a kākāpō called Sinbad, who has important Fiordland genes.

Kākāpō chicks

Episode 6
The kākāpō eggs are hatching, and chicks are being hand-reared or returned to their mother's nest... but not every chick is thriving.
In the bumper 2019 kākāpō breeding season the first chick hatched in late January and the final chick hatched in late April.

Dark days

Episode 7
A deadly fungal disease strikes the kākāpō population on Whenua Hou and the Kākāpō Recovery team calls on New Zealand wildlife vets to help.
Before her untimely death from the fungal disease aspergillosis, Hoki was foster mum to three kākāpō chicks. From left to right, Huhana-2-A-19, Pearl-2-B-19 and Bella-1-A-19.

Success

Episode 8
The 2019 kākāpō chicks are becoming independent and birds sent to be scanned for aspergillosis are getting clean bills of health.
Adult female kākāpō Hakatere.

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