Yes, it is a concern, so we’ll aim to override with artificial insemination.

Esperance mated naturally with Ian. We'll use genetic testing to determine the father of each offspring.

Good question! Esperance and Ian are closely related (a "mate suitability score" of 6/7, where 7 is the worst possible score), so we wanted to override that mating. We will also AI Huhu, since she mated with Hondy and they share a father. #kakapo #conservation #kakapo2026

Apologies for the over-hasty post! I meant only AI *so far*, and it was with Esperance, not Pearl…. ☺️ We’ll do more inseminations as opportunities arise - hopefully next week.

Yep! Check out Radio NZ’s Kākāpō Files: www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/kaka...

Ralph & Hurihuri.

Good question! The fridges are ready, although we need smaller writing each year. We’ll still be watching all Anchor nests, and although any east side ones (there might not be that many) will rarely get visited, it’ll be enough to determine their approximate status.

It has now: first mating on 28th Dec. See my latest post.

Yes, I'll post updates here.

Sorry for the silence! Back online now, and I'll be posting updates from the islands throughout the breeding season.

Celebrating 30 years of the Kākāpō Recovery Programme Part 2: 1995 to 2025. Art by kākāpō ranger Sarah Little (www.instagram.com/sarahmaylittle). #kakapo #conservation #parrots #birds

Rakiura's nest tags. She had a cavity in the base of a big rata. #kakapo #conservation #birds #parrots