The kākāpō has been crowned winner of Bird of the Year 2020 by the public
The votes are in! The kākāpō has been crowned winner of Bird of the Year 2020 by the public. This is the parrot's second win, first taking the title in 2008. Bird of the Year is run by Forest & Bird to raise awareness of New Zealand’s unique native birds and the threats they face. See: https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/
The kākāpō is the world's only flightless parrot and nocturnal parrot. It's name comes from kākā ("parrot") + pō ("night"). It's round face resembles an owl; hence it is also called owl parrot (Strigops habroptilus), which was named by English ornithologist George Robert Gray in June 1845. (Source: Wikipedia: Kakapo)
The kākāpō has a round face & dark brown eyes that resemble an owl, & is the world's only nocturnal & flightless parrot
TV3
World's heaviest parrot (0.95-4 kg), 58-64 cm in length, with long tail feathers, short legs, large feet & short wings
Television New Zealand
Skeleton has smallest relative wing size of any parrot; its wing feathers are shorter, more rounded
iNaturalist NZ — Mātaki Taiao
Feathers are yellowish moss-green mottled with black or dark brownish grey
Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira
Although it cannot fly, it is an excellent climber. When on the ground, it moves with a jog-like gait.
Ministry for Culture and Heritage
It can climb trees & descend from branches by leaping and spreading its wings like a parachute
Kete Horowhenua
Kākāpō roost under cover in trees or on the ground during the day & have adapted their senses to moving in darkness
iNaturalist NZ — Mātaki Taiao
Kākāpō have a well-developed sense of smell & can distinguish between odours while foraging
Kete New Plymouth
They have a distinct musty-sweet odour which can alert predators. They freeze when startled to blend into the background
Kete New Plymouth
Kākāpō have a variety of calls. As well as the booms, and chings of their mating calls, they will often loudly skraark.
Radio New Zealand
Kākāpō are herbivorous, feeding on fruits, seeds, leaves, stems, and rhizomes
Ministry for Culture and Heritage
During the breeding season, males gather in an arena formed by digging one or more saucer-shaped depressions or "bowls" in the ground which they stand in to help to amplify their mating call. They then compete against each other with displays (also known as "'lek") to attract a female - raise feathers, spread wings, raise claws and emit loud, low-frequency "booms" that can travel as far as five kilometres. After 20-30 booms, they'll make a high-pitched metallic "ching" sound; then start the booming and chinging again. This can last for eight hours each night during the 2-4 month breeding season. (See: Wikipedia: Kākāpō)
Breeding occurs in summer or autumn but only if trees have plenty of fruit (rimu has fruit every 2-4 years)
Radio New Zealand
Kākāpō are the only flightless bird where males gather & display or 'lek' to attract a female
Ministry for Culture and Heritage
A male can breed with more than one female each breeding season
Alexander Turnbull Library
The nest is on the ground under plant cover or in a shallow depression in soil or rotten wood
iNaturalist NZ — Mātaki Taiao
Female kākāpō lays 1–4 eggs, with several days between eggs
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
The female kākāpō incubates the eggs which usually hatch within 30 days
TV3
Chicks are first covered with greyish white down
Television New Zealand
When the female searches for food, the nest can be left unattended for periods of time
Ministry for Culture and Heritage
The female feeds the chicks for three months
Ministry for Culture and Heritage
Chicks become fully feathered at approx 70 days old & leave the nest at approx 10 to 12 weeks of age
Ministry for Culture and Heritage
For an overview of protection initiatives, see Wikipedia: Kakapo. The kākāpō is now critically endangered. The total known population was 213 (17 September 2019) and 210 (June 2020) - see their list of names on Wikipedia. Most kākāpō are kept on two predator-free islands, Codfish / Whenua Hou (located to the west of Stewart Island) and Anchor (in the Dusky Sound in Fiordlamd). Little Barrier / Hauturu Island is being trialled as a third home for the species. The kākāpō carry radio transmitters to enable close monitoring. (See https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/kakapo-recovery/)
Sirocco is the "Official Spokesbird for Conservation" & is a regular tweeter and has Facebook fans.
Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai
Fossil records show kākāpō originally distributed throughout North Island & South Island in pre-Polynesian times
NZ On Screen
Kākāpō were hunted by Māori as a food source & for its feathers (for clothing), & sometimes kept as pets
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Predators such as cats, dogs, black rats, ferrets, & stoats introduced during British colonisation almost wiped them out
Television New Zealand
Conservation measures began in 1890s by the Government & Resolution Island in Fiordland became a nature reserve in 1891
University of Otago
Caretaker Richard Henry (appointed 1894) relocated kiwi & over 200 kākāpō from the mainland over next 6 years
Alexander Turnbull Library
By 1900, however, stoats that had swum to Resolution Island wiped out the kākāpō within 6 years
Kete New Plymouth
In 1903, three kākāpō were moved from Resolution Island to Little Barrier Island but feral cats were present
Canterbury Museum
By the 1920s, the kākāpō was extinct in the North Island and numbers & locations declining in the South Island
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
New Zealand Wildlife Service carried out expeditions in Fiordland during 1951 - 1956 with no sightings
National Library of New Zealand
1958: one was caught & released in Milford Sound; 1961: 6 caught (1 released & 5 died); 1967: 1 caught & died
University of Otago
In 1977, sightings were reported on Stewart Island. During 1982-1997 the birds were transferred to predator-free islands
Ministry for Culture and Heritage
The Kakapo Recovery Programme was started in 1995 by the NZ Conservation Department
Radio New Zealand
Conservation efforts continue today by organisations, businesses & individuals
Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai
Since 2015, the Kākāpō 125 project has DNA sequenced the genome of all living kakapo, as well as some museum specimens
Ministry for Culture and Heritage
Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai
Television New Zealand
Forest and Bird
The kākāpō carry radio transmitters to enable close monitoring.
Radio New Zealand
Sirocco was hatched in 1997. After his radio transmitter failed, he was not seen for 2 years until reappearing in 2018.
TV3
During 2019, kākāpō were threatened by a deadly fungal disease
Radio New Zealand
In Sept 2019 it was reported the kākāpō population was 213, which declined to 210 in June 2020
Radio New Zealand
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Alexander Turnbull Library
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Reserve Bank of New Zealand
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Reserve Bank of New Zealand
Canterbury Museum
Christchurch City Libraries
Kākāpō were also celebrated as Bird of the Year in 2008
Christchurch City Libraries
Department of Conservation: Kākāpo https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/kakapo/
Facebook: Kākāpō Recovery https://www.facebook.com/KakapoRecovery/
Facebook: Sirocco Kākāpō https://www.facebook.com/siroccokakapo/
Forest and Bird: Bird of the year https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/
New Zealand Birds Online: Kākāpō http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/kakapo
Wikipedia: Kakapo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakapo
Wikipedia: List of kakapo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_kakapo