In This Episode

This week’s episode is a heartfelt deep dive into the world’s cutest, and most lovable flightless parrot. In fact, it is the only flightless parrot! Inspired by reporting from the Associated Press and conservation work led by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, this episode explores how a rare bumper berry season is giving the critically endangered kākāpō a shot at population growth.

We talk about what makes these birds so adorable, why their survival depends on very specific environmental conditions, and how humans are actively working to keep them from disappearing. Let's just cut to the chase here this is me gushing over a bird for like 10 minutes with some education sprinkled in. You're welcome.

Links

AP Article: https://apnews.com/article/kakapo-flightless-parrot-breeding-new-zealand-birds-9b3e6532cd17331831b0fd3aa41ee41fgl=1ch3idaup*MQ..gs*MQ..&gclid=CjwKCAiA2PrMBhA4EiwAwpHyC5vGFpaNAVs6P-4QfU0QklHe3LqenGNwZn9yi-lOvqHzUOQktHjh2hoCOlsQAvDBwE&gbraid=0AAAAAC5L6PA0GB64MMHZ9kC4vJQjoTgJL

Department of Conservation: https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/kakapo-recovery/what-we-do/kakapo-cam-live-from-the-nest/

Rakiura Live Feed: https://www.youtube.com/live/BfGL7A2YgUY?si=FRbQPPyawri6GHkI

Kākāpō mating call: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IEk57nYb8o Bumper crop info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumper_crop

Readable version:

Nobody talk to me. The kakapo are breeding. Hello everyone. I am very tired. Having a uterus is a scam and I will never forgive my father for not giving me a Y chromosome. Coco wasn’t eating for a few days so I had to take her to the emergency vet, which sucked, and my depression has been intense. Everything’s fine now, she’s eating, her bloodwork was fine, and she’s taking her meds. I just want her to be okay. I’m still in pain, still tired, and this is a one-woman show, so please forgive the lack of content lately.

I sometimes scroll the AP oddities section because we need news that isn’t doom and gloom, and I found an article about New Zealand’s flightless parrot being in a rare mood for romance thanks to a bumper berry harvest. A bumper crop just means an unusually large harvest of wild berries, which matters because baby kakapo rely on them to survive. Somehow the birds know when this will happen and time their breeding around it. They can go years, even decades, without successful breeding and almost went extinct partly because humans introduced predators like cats and dogs etc to their islands. The kakapo is the only flightless parrot in the world, it lives on the forest floor, and it’s fucking adorable. I just love it so much.

People thought they were extinct in the 1970s, but small populations were found on remote islands and conservationists began tracking them and protecting the species. They’ve moved many to predator-free islands and are carefully managing breeding to keep genetic diversity strong. Over the last thirty years the known population has grown from around fifty birds to over two hundred, and with this bumper berry season things are looking hopeful. They monitor the eggs, track the birds, and even run live nest cams. I love love love watching this little girlie pop in her burrow. It's my new favorite thing to do.

Okay so bird mating is weird. We know this. The males dig shallow bowls in the ground and make these deep booming sounds to attract females, followed by metallic chirping noises that supposedly sound like rusty springs. It’s so silly and I love them. You can watch them online and learn their stories, and honestly it is the best thing that's happened all day. There are still humans doing good things. Sometimes you just have to read about birds and bumper crops and badly pronounce names until you find a little joy. It really can be that simple thought it isn't always.

I know this is short. I’m still dealing with pain, depression, life, finances, and parenting, and I’m trying to stop isolating, which is so very very hard. Going forward, the podcast and newsletter are being combined so the newsletter will be a readable version of the podcast each Wednesday. Patreon members will also get early access to upcoming videos before they go public. Editing takes time and energy and I’m just one person doing it all so thank you for being here and for understanding when I need a break.

Before you go, tell me your favorite animal. Mine is now the kakapo. I will be obsessed with this bird forever. Thanks for being here. I appreciate you and I’ll see you next time.