Episode
Kākāpō Files II 12 | Lots of Kākāpō Babies
- Podcast
- Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II
- Published
- Mar 9, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1877
- Processing state
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Summary
The number of kākāpō chicks has climbed to 54, with plenty more fertile eggs still to hatch on Whenua Hou and Pukenui/Anchor Island. Remote monitoring technology shows that seven kākāpō mums on Te Kakahu/Chalky Island are likely raising chicks as well. DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme is using a genetic ranking system to prioritise how much management attention each chick receives – Kākāpō Cam star Rakiura, for instance, is foster mum to a silver chick and also a gold chick. The oldest chick, Tiwhiri-A1, is ranked gold and a ground-breaking new portable PCR that allows rapid sex-testing of chicks on the islands has shown that he is a male. Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to [email protected] In this episode: 00:00 – Introduction 01:00 - Maddy Whittaker with egg and chick updates 03:50 – Males are stopping booming 08:00 – Rimu fruit ripening 08:40 – Chick and hatching deaths 09:30 – Updates on Alison, Queenie & Cyndy, & Tiwhiri-A1 14:46 - Andrew Digby on genetic ranking system for chicks 21:20 – Sex-testing chicks using PCR 25:25 – Alyssa Salton with kākāpō egg 101 29:58 - Closing credits… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details