kakapo season 2009

[Chlidonias]

rimu is a podocarp tree which grows to between 30 and 50 metres in height. The fruit themselves are only about 1cm in size (they consist of a fleshy red fruit topped with a small black 'seed', and are adapted for dispersal by birds). The fruiting cycle is very irregular and the causes of it are still something of a mystery; it is probably tied to the weather patterns. What are known as 'mast years' (mass fruiting, such as what is needed for the kakapo to start breeding) occur about every 3 or 4 years. The mast years when they occur are standard across NZ, so if the crop fails on Codfish Island (for example) then it fails NZ-wide. Even if the crop failed in one part of NZ and not another then the difficulties of collecting large quantites of these tiny fruit from 30 metre tall trees in the middle of the forest can probably be imagined. The unpredictable nature of the rimu fruiting is why so much effort is put into providing supplementary food for the kakapo, using commercially available fruit and vegetables.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

The kakapo breeding season is drawing to a close. The last eggs have hatched and out of an expected 9 6 chicks have been added for a total of 34 birds. The kakapo tally now stands at an impressive 125 birds in all!!!!

Regarding the rimu crop - Chlidonias is right to contend it is virtually impossible to provide natural feed if the crop fails (it is similar in that respect to bamboo when it is flowering, giant pandas will just have to move out or starve). Of the 34 chicks 21 have been removed from Codfish Island to the rearing center at Invercargill.

 

[Chlidonias]

Keeping kakapo alive - environment | Stuff.co.nz

Keeping alive New Zealand's most endangered chicks is a never-ending procedure of changing into white suits, gumboots, more white suits, feeding, washing, and sterilising for the National Kakapo Recovery Team.

And it's a full-on job when there are almost two dozen chicks needing around-the-clock attention.Twenty-two have been taken off Codfish Island, near Stewart Island, to a special location in Invercargill to be hand-reared to secure their survival.

The chicks are among 34 to hatch this breeding season, bringing the critically endangered population to 125.

Team leader Deidre Vercoe said bad weather during summer had meant not enough rimu fruit had ripened on the island for all 27 mothers to feed their chicks.

"We knew it was going to be a cracker breeding season, but we didn't know exactly how many chicks there would be, or if there would be enough food."

The team was prepared for the possibility hand-rearing a large proportion of the chicks.

The chicks at the location ranged from five days old to 40 days old.

About half were in a poor health and were separated from the healthy ones.

Kakapo ranger Errol Millar said the last two birds to be brought off the island urgently needed attention as they were suffering from a respiratory illness.

Stewart Island Flights had been "awesome" in helping the department ferry chicks off the island at short notice, he said.

Everything was kept as clean as possible to eliminate infection risks, he said. "In between working with the different birds it's cleaning, cleaning, cleaning."

About 10 staff, including a vet, are looking after the birds.The younger chicks need at least 10 feeds a day while the older ones are on about five feeds a day.

Chicks will remain in Invercargill until the end of June, when they will be returned to the island to live in monitored pens for about six weeks before being released into the wild.

 

[Pertinax]

AI with Richard Henry

Does anyone know if the AI using Richard Henry was successful or not. As there is no recent mention of this in the Kakapo Recovery news or updates, I'm assuming it wasn't?

 

[jay]

I have just read an interesting articbt Kakapo in a magazine called Creation. It is a Creationist magazine(anti-evolution) and as well as the basics of the birds lifestyle they then go to explain how the species came about. Apparently it is an excellent example of devolution within a species (loss of flight ability) from the ancestral parrot that was on the Ark. There is no such thing as a seperate kakapo species but rather all parrots are one species. So from Macaws to budgerigars, they are all xamples of evolution within the species, like the various breeds of dogs.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

I have just read an interesting articbt Kakapo in a magazine called Creation. It is a Creationist magazine(anti-evolution) and as well as the basics of the birds lifestyle they then go to explain how the species came about. Apparently it is an excellent example of devolution within a species (loss of flight ability) from the ancestral parrot that was on the Ark. There is no such thing as a seperate kakapo species but rather all parrots are one species. So from Macaws to budgerigars, they are all xamples of evolution within the species, like the various breeds of dogs.

It is OK to have an open mind, but be sceptic and afraid, be very, very afraid .... (LOL)! Creationism is a non-scientific dogma that seeks to validate religion by putting forward theories regarding evolution that compy with 6,000 years of the Holy Book.

Now, in your case for the ancestral origins of all parrots blah-die-blah Creationism is not a particularly good source of information. Now, it is fine by me if you are religious and do so out of personal conviction, but it is none too fine to believe this kind of mumbo-jumbo ....!

Again, and again, and again ... untill the time that valid scientific arguements can be raised to question evolution, natural selection and the development of individual species' through time, it stays VALID!

I rest my case ....

K.B.

 

[Hix]

I have just read an interesting articbt Kakapo in a magazine called Creation. It is a Creationist magazine(anti-evolution) and as well as the basics of the birds lifestyle they then go to explain how the species came about. Apparently it is an excellent example of devolution within a species (loss of flight ability) from the ancestral parrot that was on the Ark. There is no such thing as a seperate kakapo species but rather all parrots are one species. So from Macaws to budgerigars, they are all xamples of evolution within the species, like the various breeds of dogs.

WOW!!!

How did all my university texts get evolution soooooo wrong?

LOL



Hix

 

[Pertinax]

Apparently it is an excellent example of devolution within a species (loss of flight ability) from the ancestral parrot that was on the Ark. There is no such thing as a seperate kakapo species but rather all parrots are one species. So from Macaws to budgerigars, they are all xamples of evolution within the species, like the various breeds of dogs.

Its interesting though that I believe some New zealand scientists affectionately nickname the Kakapo 'Big Green Budgie' and if you look at the faces of each you can probably see why.

 

[jay]

It is OK to have an open mind, but be sceptic and afraid, be very, very afraid .... (LOL)! Creationism is a non-scientific dogma that seeks to validate religion by putting forward theories regarding evolution that compy with 6,000 years of the Holy Book.

Now, in your case for the ancestral origins of all parrots blah-die-blah Creationism is not a particularly good source of information. Now, it is fine by me if you are religious and do so out of personal conviction, but it is none too fine to believe this kind of mumbo-jumbo ....!

Again, and again, and again ... untill the time that valid scientific arguements can be raised to question evolution, natural selection and the development of individual species' through time, it stays VALID!

I rest my case ....

K.B.

HEY HEY HEY I am extremley anti creationist. The rantings of the fundamentalist christians that seem to have hijacked american political society for so long are a source of wonder to me. How they can continue to be so blind is beyond me. What I was just pointing out was yet another of their riduculous theories that they use to twist themselves into knots to 'prove' their ridcicouls ideas. And I make NO apologies if suc a person reads this and is offended.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

On a happier more kakapo note ... 26 chicks have been relocated to Invercargill to be handraised as the rimu fruit season seems to be beyond so many kakapo chicks making it through on Whenua Hou. Only 8 chicks are going through the process of natural rearing.

 

[Chlidonias]

Does anyone know if the AI using Richard Henry was successful or not. As there is no recent mention of this in the Kakapo Recovery news or updates, I'm assuming it wasn't?

the AI was done on the 10th of February I think and since then there has been no mention of it anywhere. Like you I would also assume this to mean that it was not successful, otherwise there would have been all sorts of fanfare about it.

 

[Pertinax]

Like you I would also assume this to mean that it was not successful, otherwise there would have been all sorts of fanfare about it.

Absolutely! Failure isn't news... A pregnant silence can often say a lot.....

 

[Chlidonias]

Another chance to see kakapo | Stuff.co.nz

Southerners will have the chance to see one of the rarest parrots in the world next Saturday when some of this season's chicks will be on display at the Invercargill Workingmen's Club from 10am to 4pm.

Conservation Department Kakapo Recovery Team leader Diedre Vercoe said being able to share the special birds with the public was a wonderful way to celebrate what has been an incredible breeding season.

"We are still buzzing about the population passing 100, and the rediscovery of Rangi (a male kakapo who had not been seen on the island for about 20 years) was another incredible moment."

A similar public day held last year at the club attracted more than 3000 people and Ms Vercoe hoped this year would be just as successful.

They hoped to have three chicks on display in the morning and two in the afternoon. Exact numbers would depend on how well the birds coped with the attention, she said.

Of the 33 chicks hatched this season, 20 were male and 13 female. The recovery team had hoped for more females but was still pleased with the results, she said.

The Kakapo Recovery Programme is a partnership between the Conservation Department, Rio Tinto Alcan NZ and Forest and Bird.

KAKAPO INFO

The small but increasing kakapo population sits at 124 after this 2008-09 breeding season produced a record 33 chicks.

A total of 71 eggs were laid this season 50 were fertile but 14 failed (embryos dead before hatching).

From the total of 36 chicks hatched, three died and 26 are being hand-raised in Invercargill, while seven are being raised by their mothers on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island.

Eleven of the 26 were to be transferred back to the island at the end of this month.

The previous biggest season was in 2002 when 24 chicks hatched. wKakapo Recovery is a partnership between the Conservation Department, Rio Tinto Alcan New Zealand and Forest & Bird. The partnership, signed in 1990, is one of DOC's longest-running conservation partnerships.

 

[Chlidonias]

HUGE news for the kakapo!!!

the second link is to the news video
Artificial insemination may save Kakapos - Story - National - 3 News
Artificial insemination may save Kakapos - National - Video - 3 News

DOC has managed to breed two kakapo using artificial insemination in what's being hailed as a world first and a boost for critically-endangered birds everywhere.

Kakapo are notoriously slow to reproduce, and DOC hopes the breakthrough will now ensure the birds' survival.

There are only 124 kakapo in existence, but with the help of artificial insemination, or AI, they may just be able to claw their way back from the brink of extinction.

"It's just a fantastic tool for us to protect the future population of kakapo against further inbreeding, and also hopefully improve fertility rates," says DOC's Deirdre Vercoe.

"It's a real breakthrough, a scientific breakthrough to achieve AI in a wild bird like this," says Forest & Bird's Chris Todd.

With more than 50 percent of kakapo eggs infertile, associate professor Ian Jameison says AI is a revolutionary tool in the fight for their survival.

"Not just a breakthrough for the kakapo, but also for conservation in general, especially threatened bird species," he says.

Two female kakapo have each produced an AI chick, that now live on Codfish Island.

DOC credits Spanish avian AI expert Dr Juan Blanco, who spent four summers here on the project, as instrumental in its success.

"He's really brought us forward about 10 years in terms of avian artificial insemination," says Dr Jamieson.

The kakapo population is based on a small group of founding males caught in the 1970s and '80s. Inbreeding is rampant and they're rather selective.

"'Cause they're so picky it's difficult to get the desirable partners together to get the best, the widest variety of genes from the progeny, from the chicks," says Mr Todd.

"Their breeding strategy means that only a few of them will be represented because we have a few good 'boomers' who attract the ladies," says Ms Vercoe.

One of those boomers - Sirocco - is trying his best to propagate the species, but with limited success. But with artificial insemination this vulnerable bird may yet be saved from extinction.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

This is a real break-through in kakapo breeding and management. Sirocco, will by virtue of the AI technique be able to reproduce and add is valuable genetic line to the current kakapo crop. That is important for SPB.

 

[Chlidonias]

potentially very bad news for the kakapo....

with regards to the threat detailed in this article, it is worth noting that the only wild rosellas in the South Island are around Dunedin, widely seperated from the wild rosellas in the North Island. There are both kaka and kakariki in nearby forests just outside Dunedin. Currently it would be very difficult for this virus to get from North Island rosellas to wild South Island psittacines and then from there to the kakapo islands, but it could potentially happen in any number of ways. Bad news for all NZ parrot species really. The disease was almost certainly brought into NZ via smuggled parrots
Killer disease hits native parrots - national | Stuff.co.nz

Rare native parrots such as the kakapo and red-fronted parakeet could be at risk from a fatal new disease.

Scientists from Canterbury and Massey universities, fearful that a new strain of beak and feather virus will spread, are calling for stricter screening of the critically endangered parrots. They say it is essential that monitoring and testing are done on birds chosen for breeding, or the disease – for which there is no treatment – will spread further.

The scientists are concerned that the virus will reach the only 123 living kakapo, subject to an extensive monitoring programme on Codfish Island, off Stewart Island, and Anchor Island in Dusky Sound. Red-fronted parakeets are known to live on Anchor Island.

"The real question is not is it [the virus] present or not; the real question is how long before it hits them," ecologist Luis Ortiz-Catedral said.

The eastern rosella, an introduced Australian bird, was known to carry strains of the beak and feather virus. He likened the spread of the virus to the arrival of Europeans in New Zealand and the introduction of influenza.

Although the spread of beak and feather disease could be controlled within populations being bred, its spread in the wild could not. To control the spread, every bird would need to be tested because adult carriers sometimes had no signs of the disease before passing it on to their chicks.

Mr Ortiz-Catedral has been monitoring red-fronted parakeets on Little Barrier Island near Auckland. Blood testing had revealed a new type of the highly infectious, incurable and potentially fatal beak and feather disease, with infected birds having deformed beaks and feather loss. No dead birds had been found on the island, where 25 per cent were found to be infected, but Mr Ortiz-Catedral said a similar virus found in Mauritian parrots raised the risk of death by 80 per cent. He was also worried the virus would spread to the critically endangered orange-fronted parakeet.

Kakapo programme scientist Ron Moorhouse said now the virus had been detected in a wild native species, work was needed to minimise its spread. It was vital that people did not free exotic pet parrots, as they had the potential to spread disease to rare native species.

All 123 kakapo would be tested for the virus in the coming months.

 

[Hix]

now the virus had been detected in a wild native species,

I'm guessing this is a slip of the tongue, as the article elsewhere clearly states the rosellas are introduced.



Hix

 

[Chlidonias]

no, in that reference they're talking about the red-crowned kakariki (although they call it by the misnomer "red-fronted"), of which birds on Little Barrier Island have been found to have the virus:

Mr Ortiz-Catedral has been monitoring red-fronted parakeets on Little Barrier Island near Auckland. Blood testing had revealed a new type of the highly infectious, incurable and potentially fatal beak and feather disease, with infected birds having deformed beaks and feather loss. No dead birds had been found on the island, where 25 per cent were found to be infected, but Mr Ortiz-Catedral said a similar virus found in Mauritian parrots raised the risk of death by 80 per cent. He was also worried the virus would spread to the critically endangered orange-fronted parakeet.

 

[Hix]

OK, my bad. Should have paid more attention while reading it.



Hix

 

[Chlidonias]

Kakapo may have his wings clipped - environment | Stuff.co.nz

16 Apr 2010
Sirocco, the conservation spokesbird and one-time YouTube star, could be banished from a kakapo sanctuary island as his visits to the mainland put him at risk of a fatal new disease.

The discovery of a new strain of beak and feather virus in rare native parrots has led scientists from Canterbury and Massey universities to call for stricter screening of critically endangered birds.

Last month, The Dominion Post revealed the scientists' concerns that the fatal disease could spread to kakapo – of which there are only 123 living birds.

Conservation Department kakapo programme scientist Ron Moorhouse said big decisions now needed to be made about Sirocco's future, not only to protect him from the disease, but also to protect the critically endangered kakapo population.

In January, Prime Minister John Key gave Sirocco the title of official "spokesbird" of conservation as part of New Zealand's role in the International Year of Biodiversity.

Sirocco was an obvious choice as he shot to stardom around the world last year after being caught on film trying to mate with a television presenter's head, Mr Key said.

However Mr Moorhouse said because the role was likely to involve travel around the mainland, it could be too risky for Sirocco to return to Whenua Hou, or Codfish Island, off Stewart Island.

The disease has been detected in rare native red-fronted parakeets, and ecologist Luis Ortiz-Catedral said it was likely to have spread from exotic parrots.

There is no treatment for the disease.

Mr Moorhouse said people who let exotic parrots free in the wild had put native parrots at risk.

To fulfil his role as spokesbird, it was likely Sirocco would have to live out his life on the mainland, Mr Moorhouse said.

Last September, Sirocco spent a week at Auckland Zoo, but Mr Moorhouse said it was unlikely he would live in a zoo long-term, as a predator-free outdoor environment was preferable.

This winter, every kakapo would be tested for the new virus, and Mr Moorhouse said while similar strains had never wiped out a parrot species, it was not worth taking the risk of introducing it to an endangered bird.