The chicks that have hatched are off to Dunedin, the females have started mating again, and there is breeding action on Hauturu, all in episode 8 of the Kākāpō Files.
The Kākāpō Recovery team continue to be very busy. Seven... oh no, make that eight already... kākāpō chicks have hatched (and counting) and the first batch are heading to the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital to be hand-reared.
The females on Anchor Island have begun mating again.
And there is now breeding on three kākāpō islands, with Lisa the first female to mate on Hauturu/Little Barrier Island, near Auckland.
Lisa - the story of a 'missing kākāpō'
Lisa the kākāpō has a very interesting history. She is a founder bird from Stewart Island. She was first found as an adult in 1982, and then in 1992 she was moved to Hauturu / Little Barrier Island. Soon after her arrival her transmitter stopped working - and she disappeared.
Kākāpō are really well designed for going off the radar - they have perfect camouflage to just blend into the forest. They hole up during the day to sleep, and they creep around at night minding their own business. Put them on top of a rugged island with lots of steep- sided, never-visited valleys and it is very easy for them to go undetected.
Lisa became one of the missing kākāpō. Maybe dead but possibly still alive.
In the late 1990s a decision was made to take all the kākāpō off Hauturu as they weren't being very successful at breeding. The plan was to concentrate all the females on Whenua Hou, so all the females had been removed, but not all the males. It was the summer of 1999 and the remaining males were booming.
Then one day, the DOC ranger found kākāpō mating sign in Ox's bowl. Special kākāpō tracking dogs were brought in and eventually they found Lisa - on a nest - with three fertile eggs. Then just to make things even better all three hatched and were female. This was good news as at that time there were lots of male chicks. Her daughters are Ellie, Hauturu (after the island). and Aranga.
Lisa was moved to Whenua Hou, and in two of the following breeding season Lisa was the first female into action, mating with Basil at Christmas. She has had six more offspring, including Tiwhiri.
We've already heard about Tiwhiri in the Kākāpō Files, as she was one of the first females to mate on Anchor Island this season and she's the mum of one of the first batch of chicks.
Grandmother Lisa is now back on Hauturu and has mated, probably with Jester. She mated with Jester in 2016 but laid infertile eggs so it'll be interesting to see what happens this year…
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.