Kākāpō population reaches 75-year high

The critically endangered kākāpō population has reached 325 birds in New Zealand, its highest level in the recovery era and potentially in 75 years.

“There is still a long road of recovery ahead, but ninety chicks in a single season is a record,” said Deidre Vercoe, Kākāpō Recovery Operations Manager at New Zealand’s Department of Conservation.

The recovery programme began in 1995 with just 51 kākāpō, including only 20 females, and has since supported the species through 13 breeding seasons. This year, 90 chicks survived to the 150-day milestone at which they are considered independent, compared with the 16 years it took to produce the same number early in the recovery effort. Conservationists are now exploring less intensive management while working towards more predator-free habitat where the flightless parrots can eventually thrive more naturally.