Kakapo chicks taken back to Codfish Island – all thriving
July 2008. The six new kakapo chicks, which were removed from Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, to be hand raised due to fears that there was not enough natural food for their mothers to raise them, are settling in well following their return home to Codfish Island.
Chris Birmingham with the kakapo chicks. @ DOC
Getting the chicks home safely was a major relief for the National Kakapo Recovery Team. The team had worked tirelessly over the previous three months, with many sleepless nights after three of the chicks became ill. Fortunately they recovered and are doing well.
Safe haven
While there are still risks, as is the case for any young animal when it goes out on its own, being on predator free Codfish Island and still under the watchful eye of a team of dedicated DOC staff, means that they are as safe as they can be.
Reintroduced to the wild
There were no problems with the trip from Invercargill to Codfish, said Deidre Vercoe, Technical Support Officer on the Kakapo Team, who escorted the chicks home. The chicks will spend the next month in a large outdoor pen being fed increasing amounts of natural food before being slowly introduced to the wild where they will have to care for themselves.
This breeding season has shown that birds as young as six years old can breed successfully so it is hoped that these chicks may themselves be parents around 2014.
More than 8000 people saw the newest additions to the small but increasing kakapo population at the Invercargill and Nelson public viewings held last month.
Hope for a bumper crop next season
Signs are looking very favourable for another, even better, breeding season next year with potentially up to 40 chicks being produced.
"There are still a lot of things that could happen between now and then, but it is really exciting," Ms Vercoe said.
"We could have nearly a 50 per cent increase in the world population of kakapo in one year which would be a huge step in the recovery of the species."
The Kakapo Recovery Programme is a partnership between the Department of Conservation, Rio Tinto Alcan NZ Ltd and the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society.
Kakapo facts
- Twenty percent of the current kakapo population has been hand raised.
- Kakapo thought to breed at about 9 to 10 years, however two six-year-olds bred this year.
- Kakapo blend in very well with the surrounding vegetation. You can be within 1m of one and sometimes not see it.
- Today, all remaining kakapo are on Anchor Island in southwest Fiordland and Whenua Hou/Codfish Island near Stewart Island/Rakiura.
Kakapo chicks & Kakapo population latest
The sex of the six kakapo chicks, now three months old, is three female and three male. In March/April 2008, seven kakapo chicks hatched on Whenua Hou, and in mid April the seven chicks were transferred to special facilities in Nelson to ensure their survival, unfortunately one died of natural complications. These chicks bring the population to 91.
The National Kakapo Team
The National Kakapo Team is a small group of dedicated Department of Conservation staff who are responsible for the day-to-day management of the birds. Up to four full-time staff work on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island year-round making sure the birds are safe, healthy and well-fed. They only see or handle kakapo once or twice a year for their regular health checks.
