Almost 90% of adult female kākāpō of breeding age have mated so far this breeding season, and two thirds of those are nesting. Some birds have already laid a full clutch of eggs and while some clutches are 100% fertile, others are - as expected - unfortunately infertile. To date there are 55 fertile kākāpō eggs, and that number grows daily as kākāpō rangers find nests and are able to check the developing eggs. Alison Ballance checks in from Whenua Hou, where technical advisor Daryl Eason is nearing the end of the artificial insemination programme. He is excited that a ‘lost’ female has been found and wonders if she is also nesting.

Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to [email protected]

In this episode:

00:00 – Introduction
01:02 – Nest and egg updates
05:43 – A ‘lost’ bird is refound
08:00 – Waikawa, layer of fertile eggs
08:38 - Closing credits

Learn more:

• Follow the Kākāpō Files podcast to keep up to date
• Watch the livestreaming kākāpō nest cam of Rakiura on her nest
• Listen to the Voice of the Kākāpō series for a recap of the 2019 breeding season
• Also listen to the episodes covering the interim 2022 breeding season, and about how a few male kākāpō have fared in the North Island, in the fenced Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari
• For more New Zealand science and nature find and follow the Our Changing World podcast, and subscribe to the show’s monthly newsletter

Guests:

• Technical advisor, Daryl Eason, Kākāpō Recovery Programme

Kākāpō Files is made in collaboration with the Department of Conservation’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details