The Kākāpō

The Kākāpō: flightless bird on the edge of extinction

There are only 201 kākāpō alive today. The species faces major challenges due to infertility and inbreeding.

About the Species

The kākāpō is a nocturnal, flightless parrot. And its strangeness doesn’t end there. It’s critically endangered and one of New Zealand’s unique treasures.

Before humans arrived, kākāpō were abundant throughout New Zealand. Population numbers dropped swiftly due to hunting, introduced predators and land clearance. Conservation efforts began in 1894, but by the mid-1900s, kākāpō teetered on the edge of extinction.

Current conservation is led by The Department of Conservation (DOC), under the Kākāpō Recovery program.

NZ Parrot Trust Support

The NZ Parrot Trust is aiding the Kākāpō Recovery by providing funding to DOC. The NZ Parrot Trust recently provided $10,000 to aid the purchase of GPS Tracking devices to help monitor the 2018-19 breeding season.

Project partners (in collaboration with):