Another kakapo death – Caused by transmitter harness

Kakapo numbers down to 127
January 2012: Kakapo Recovery programme manager Deidre Vercoe Scott said Sandra, a female discovered on Stewart Island in 1992, was found dead on Anchor Island at the weekend, caught up by her transmitter harness.

"It's gutting for the team to lose one of the birds this way. Without transmitters, our mission to support and grow the kakapo population would be virtually impossible" she said.

Transmitters are fitted on every kakapo and are crucial for locating the birds. Ms Vercoe Scott said it was the first time a kakapo had died in such a manner.

First harness death in 31 years
"The harnesses are fitted in a way that the bird will wriggle out of them if they get hooked on something. We've been using them for the past 31 years without a death like this occurring. We're not sure what happened to Sandra but she may have got really twisted up. It's extremely upsetting."

Sandra didn't have a good breeding history, raising just one chick in 1999, Morehu.

Fourth recent death
Her death is the fourth since September 2011 and sees the kakapo population fall to 127, down from a high of 131 following last year's breeding season. There will be no breeding season this year.

To read about another recent kakapo mortality, click Kakapo death ends disappointing year

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/kakapo-dies.html

Kakapo death ends disappointing year

Probably no breeding this season
January 2012. The death of a male kakapo on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island has brought disappointment to the Kakapo Recovery team, as it faces a year without any breeding.

First found on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island
Waynebo was found dead by kakapo rangers on the 2nd of January after his transmitter went into mortality mode. The mortality function on his transmitter revealed he had been dead for 24 hours. Waynebo was first discovered on Stewart Island in January 1989 and transferred to Whenua Hou/Codfish Island where he fathered several kakapo chicks. His exact age is unknown.

Kakapo population down to 128
Kakapo Recovery programme manager Deidre Vercoe Scott said it was sad news for the recovery programme, which had seen the population reduce by three to 128, since September.

"An autopsy has been carried out at Auckland Zoo and at this stage, the only indication of the cause of death is that he had a wound on his chest. He had been completely healthy when routinely captured several weeks prior to his death."

Tissue samples had been sent to Massey University. "We now have to wait for further results."

Still critically endangered
Ms Vercoe Scott said kakapo deaths were a reminder that, although Kakapo Recovery had achieved much during the past 21 years - increasing the total population from 49 to 131 last year - the kakapo was still a critically endangered species and vulnerable.

No breeding
"Unfortunately, due to a poor rimu mast, we predict that there will be no breeding on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island this year and only a low chance there will be any on Anchor Island. So the population count is likely to go only one way in 2012 - we hope it will remain as it is.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/kakapo-death.html

Two kakapo found dead

Two Critically Endangered kakapo have died September 2011. Two young female kakapo have been found dead - one on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, off Stewart Island, the other on Anchor Island in Fiordland.
Kakapo Recovery programme manager Deidre Vercoe Scott said the two birds were discovered by rangers doing transmitter changes during the weekend. The first, Purity, hatched during the bumper 2009 breeding season. It was estimated she had been dead around ten days. The other, Monoa, which hatched in 2002, was found Sunday on Anchor Island. She had been dead for quite some time, indicating the two deaths were not linked.

Cause of death unknown
"At this stage, we have no idea what the cause of either death is. Initial autopsies have been carried out at Auckland Zoo and showed no obvious reasons," she said.

Tissue samples had been sent to Massey University. "We now have to wait for further results."

Come and meet Scirocco
The news comes during the same week "star" bird Sirocco officially launched his career as an advocate for Kakapo Recovery. Sirocco is on display at Orokonui Ecosanctuary, near Dunedin, for most of September before he heads to ZEALANDIA, in Wellington.

131 Kakapo alive
Ms Vercoe Scott said the kakapo deaths were a reminder that, although Kakapo Recovery had achieved much during the past 21 years - increasing the total population from 49 to 131 this year - the kakapo was still a critically endangered species and vulnerable.

"While it is such a shame to lose two young females, it's a fact that, as kakapo numbers increase, we can expect a natural increase in mortality rates for a variety of reasons. The good news is more than half the kakapo population is young breeding age birds, so the recovery of kakapo is still in good shape."
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/kakapo-deaths.html

Kakapo to visit Wellington

Sirocco the kakapo to visit Zealandia

July 2011. Sirocco the kākāpō is to visit Wellington's award winning eco-sanctuary: Zealandia. Wellington has never before hosted an adult kākāpō - the world's rarest parrot. Seeing one is a unique and, until recently, exclusive experience.

"Seeing Sirocco will not only be entertaining but also really help people to understand how remarkable our natural history is and why conservation efforts need all the help they can get. We're very excited and feel privileged to host him." Zealandia Chief Executive Nancy McIntosh-Ward said.

Internet sensation Sirocco is most famous for enthusiastically ‘shagging' Mark Carwardine's head as Stephen Fry laughed from the sidelines in 2009's BBC programme Last Chance to See. The incident propelled him to star status with over 3 million views on YouTube. He is now the world's first official spokes-bird for conservation with over 7,000 Facebook fans and over 3,000 Twitter followers.

"This is an amazing opportunity for locals and visitors to come face to face with one of the strangest, rarest and most charismatic of New Zealand's native species. Kākāpō evolved to flourish in an environment free of mammalian predators but came very close to extinction after the introduction of mammalian pests. We're looking forward to hosting Sirocco, he's a powerful advocate for his species" Zealandia Conservation Manager Raewyn Empson said.

Register your interest in visiting
Kākāpō are nocturnal so Zealandia will be offering tours to see Sirocco in the evenings over late September and through October. Pricing and details have yet to be confirmed, register your interest at www.visitZealandia.com/kakapo.

Just 131 kakapo survive today
Sirocco is one of only 131 kākāpō surviving today. The rest live on predator-free islands closely monitored and supported by the Kākāpō Recovery Programme. Sirocco was hand-reared away from others of his species after suffering respiratory illness and consequently imprinted on humans, hence his kākāpō - human mating attempts!

As part of his Rugby World Cup plans Sirocco will also be staying at Orokanui Ecosanctuary in Dunedin over September.

Hosting a famous rare parrot takes serious preparation and funds. Sirocco's visit is proudly sponsored by our principal partner Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand with funding from The Lion Foundation and Karori Brooklyn Community Charitable Trust.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/scirocco-wellington.html#cr
Kakapo facts

Kākāpō are flightless.
Kākāpō are the world's heaviest parrot species.
Kākāpō are possibly the oldest living bird in the world.
Kākāpō have a subsonic mating boom that can travel several kilometers.
Nineteenth-century explorer Charles Douglas noted that he could shake a tree and kakapos would fall like ripe apples.
Sirocco hatched in 1997 and was raised on Codfish Island. He has spent time on Pearl Island, off Stewart Island, but now lives on Maud Island. He has previously been on display on Ulva Island in 2006, 2008 and 2009. He was on display at Auckland Zoo in 2009.

Kakapo's future may lie with ailing chick

KENT BLECHYNDEN/Dominion Post

IMPORTANT PATIENT: The sick baby kakapo, known as
Solstice One, which has been sent to Wellington Zoo for
diagnosis and treatment.

STACEY WOOD
Last updated 13:00 15/04/2011

A chick with "precious genes" has been flown from Codfish Island sanctuary to be treated by Wellington Zoo's resident kakapo expert.

The gangly grey chick is one of 11 hatchlings from this year's kakapo breeding season and could one day play an important role in the rare parrot's survival.

Solstice One, as the 34-day-old chick is known, had been suffering from unknown respiratory problems and low health.

On Tuesday, it was flown to Wellington for one-on-one treatment from veterinary science manager and kakapo chick expert Lisa Argilla.

She has helped to hand-raise 26 chicks, after working with Conservation Department rangers in heavy breeding seasons.

This week Dr Argilla and her team had been running blood tests, X-rays and other diagnostics to try to work out what was wrong.

She said the chick might be suffering from "fatty liver", which can happen when rangers supplement the adult kakapo population's food sources. "It can be deadly – there was a chick a few years ago that died from it."

Kakapo have a 100 per cent herbivorous diet and rely on rimu fruit for much of their nutrition. In years when rimu trees fail to bear enough fruit, rangers give the birds pellets, but these can be too rich in protein and energy for the baby birds to tolerate.

Solstice One is the only chick from this season's 11 hatchlings to show signs of ill health.

Its mother, Solstice, was found on Stewart Island in June 1997. She was the first kakapo to be found and taken from the island in five years. She laid three eggs in 2002, but all of the chicks died before hatching. "This little chick is very precious, genetically," Dr Argilla said.

Solstice was artificially inseminated to increase the population's genetic diversity, so her chick would be a valuable breeding bird if it stayed healthy. Solstice One, believed to be a female, will be given an official name after her gender is confirmed and iwi have been consulted.

Dr Argilla said she completely disagreed with the suggestion by University of Adelaide scientist Cory Bradshaw this week that the "wonderfully weird" kakapo was among endangered species that were beyond saving.

"I don't think they are – DOC are doing such a good job," Dr Argilla said. "In 10 years they've managed to more than double the population, and also the big breeding seasons are happening closer and closer together, and there's now a higher percentage of females."

DOC's Kakapo Recovery Programme has increased the number of kakapo from 50 to 120 since 1995, not including the 11 chicks hatched this season.

- The Dominion Post

See video at: http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/4890410/Kakapos-future-may-lie-with-ailing-chick#share

Let wonderfully weird kakapo die - scientist

MANAWATU STANDARD

WORTH PROTECTING: The Conservation Department says it has no intention of
dropping its attempts to save the the kakapo.

BRONWYN TORRIE
Last updated 05:00 13/04/2011


It might not be worth trying to save the kakapo, the critically endangered native bird that has been on the brink of extinction for decades, an Australian scientist says.

Instead, resources should go into saving species that have more chance of recovering and surviving in the evolving environment.

"It's a wonderfully weird creature and it's a shame that we will probably lose it regardless of any interventions. Harsh, but somebody's got to say it," said Cory Bradshaw, of the University of Adelaide's director of ecological modelling.

Using a mathematical formula, Professor Bradshaw and colleagues from Adelaide and James Cook University, in northern Queensland, created a new index called Safe (Species' Ability to Forestall Extinction), which ranks the probability of animals becoming extinct based on population.

The index goes a step further than the Red List of Threatened Species, produced by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which ranks animals and plants in categories from safe to critically endangered.

"It really comes down to accounting, are we deliberately or inadvertently losing hundreds if not thousands of species by putting money into species that are a lost cause? That doesn't mean we go out and knock every one on its head though," Professor Bradshaw said.

Other endangered animals that could be left to die off because of unsustainable population levels, according to the index, include Australian's hairy-nosed wombat and the Javan rhinoceros.

The Conservation Department said it would look at the merits of the index but said it would continue to support the Kakapo Recovery Programme.

"DOC is very proud of the work that's been done to save the kakapo and we've no intention of letting them go," spokesman Chris Pitt said.

Kakapo have taken decades to save from "dangling on the cliff of extinction", Forest & Bird conservation advocate Nicola Vallance said.

The programme, based on several small islands, has rejuvenated the number of kakapo from 50 in 1995 to 120.

"I think any New Zealander would say they're absolutely worth protecting," Ms Vallance said.

DOC spent nearly $39 million on threatened species programmes in the year ending June 30, 2010.

Twenty native birds are extinct and 77 are threatened – made up of 24 critical, 15 endangered and 38 vulnerable birds.

Professor Bradshaw, who encountered kakapo while studying at Otago University, said any animal with a population below 5000 had a greater risk of extinction because they could be wiped out by extreme events such as cyclones or forest fires.

He admitted the concept was unpopular but the index would assist "conservation triage" – prioritising the species that should be saved.

Massey University's Doug Armstrong, who specialises in conservation biology, said there had to be a "trade-off" when picking what animals to save but it was not up to scientists to make this decision.

It was up to New Zealanders and, in some circumstances, iwi, which had a special connection to certain species, to weigh up the benefits, cost and value of saving an endangered animal.

"I would be very hesitant to write off species just because they have low numbers," Professor Armstrong said.

- The Dominion Post

http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/4879292/Let-wonderfully-weird-kakapo-die-scientist

Stephen Fry docu parrot's romp with presenter gets 500k hits on YouTube

By BEN JACKSON
Published: 07 Oct 2009

FOOTAGE of one of the world's rarest birds trying to mate with a BBC presenter during a Stephen Fry documentary has become a hit on Twitter.

More than half a million viewers have watched the moment when an endangered New Zealand parrot becomes amorously attracted to British zoologist and wildlife presenter Mark Cawardine on You Tube.

There have been already 15,000 mentions of the clip on Twitter since a BBC2 show aired the show, Last Chance to See, this week.

The programme features the world's most endangered animals.

Carwardine and actor Stephen Fry had travelled to New Zealand to see the large flightless bird the kakapo which is so rare there are just 124 left in the world. It is the world's only flightless parrot.

But Cawardine, who is also a wildlife photographer, was left astonished as he got close enough to the bird, named Sirocco, and discovered it thought he was a real cracker.

Fry's commentary describes the kakapo as looking like an "old fashioned, big side-burned, Victorian gentleman."

He watches as the bird approaches Cawardine before climbing on his shoulders.

Fry's is heard to say: "Look at that" as Sirocco struggles to grab hold of his bewildered co-presenter, before adding cautiously.

"He's getting a bit frisky - he is."

As camera continue rolling Fry asks a nearby keeper: "Do you think he's actually attempting a sort of mating ritual?"

As a keeper confirms his question off camera he tells Cawardine, "Oh, he is."

Fry continues: "Look he's so happy. It's one of the funniest things I've ever seen."

Collapsing with laughter, tells his colleague: "Mark - you are being shagged by a rare parrot."

Sirocco, who is 12-years-old has shot to stardom since the programme was aired. Admirers have dubbed the footage "award-winning", "the best thing on television" and "quite simply hilarious" while tweets have suggested Sirocco deserves his own TV show.

Carwardine suffered scratches to his head and neck - not to mention a severe loss of dignity in the scuffle.

The whole episode was captured on film and while Fry spread the word on Twitter at the time, but it was when Last Chance to See programme aired on the BBC this week that the public got to see the unusual ritual first hand.

Since then, the clip has been the most viewed video on the BBC website and has had more than 600,000 views on YouTube. Clicks to the video from Twitter have numbered around 15,000 from 113 individual tweets and Sirocco has also cracked the United States, appearing on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show, 'Moment of Geek'.

Sirocco now even appears on Facebook where he received 700 new friend requests within a hour of the show being broadcast.

New Zealand's Department of Conservation and members of the kakapo recovery programme are now deciding the next move for the now internationally renowned parrot.

Sirocco is the face of the kakapo recovery programme and is described as an extraordinary and charismatic bird who has a strong affinity with humans. A respiratory illness suffered early in life meant that Sirocco had to be hand reared by the kakapo recovery team.

The kakapo recovery programme has helped the bird recover from a population of just 100 to 124.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/Green/2672484/Stephen-Fry-docu-parrots-romp-with-presenter-gets-500k-hits-on-YouTube.html#ixzz0TMRG19Kd

Stephen Fry docu parrot's romp with presenter gets 500k hits on YouTube

By BEN JACKSON
Published: 07 Oct 2009

FOOTAGE of one of the world's rarest birds trying to mate with a BBC presenter during a Stephen Fry documentary has become a hit on Twitter.

More than half a million viewers have watched the moment when an endangered New Zealand parrot becomes amorously attracted to British zoologist and wildlife presenter Mark Cawardine on You Tube.

There have been already 15,000 mentions of the clip on Twitter since a BBC2 show aired the show, Last Chance to See, this week.

The programme features the world's most endangered animals.

Carwardine and actor Stephen Fry had travelled to New Zealand to see the large flightless bird the kakapo which is so rare there are just 124 left in the world. It is the world's only flightless parrot.

But Cawardine, who is also a wildlife photographer, was left astonished as he got close enough to the bird, named Sirocco, and discovered it thought he was a real cracker.

Fry's commentary describes the kakapo as looking like an "old fashioned, big side-burned, Victorian gentleman."

He watches as the bird approaches Cawardine before climbing on his shoulders.

Fry's is heard to say: "Look at that" as Sirocco struggles to grab hold of his bewildered co-presenter, before adding cautiously.

"He's getting a bit frisky - he is."

As camera continue rolling Fry asks a nearby keeper: "Do you think he's actually attempting a sort of mating ritual?"

As a keeper confirms his question off camera he tells Cawardine, "Oh, he is."

Fry continues: "Look he's so happy. It's one of the funniest things I've ever seen."

Collapsing with laughter, tells his colleague: "Mark - you are being shagged by a rare parrot."

Sirocco, who is 12-years-old has shot to stardom since the programme was aired. Admirers have dubbed the footage "award-winning", "the best thing on television" and "quite simply hilarious" while tweets have suggested Sirocco deserves his own TV show.

Carwardine suffered scratches to his head and neck - not to mention a severe loss of dignity in the scuffle.

The whole episode was captured on film and while Fry spread the word on Twitter at the time, but it was when Last Chance to See programme aired on the BBC this week that the public got to see the unusual ritual first hand.

Since then, the clip has been the most viewed video on the BBC website and has had more than 600,000 views on YouTube. Clicks to the video from Twitter have numbered around 15,000 from 113 individual tweets and Sirocco has also cracked the United States, appearing on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show, 'Moment of Geek'.

Sirocco now even appears on Facebook where he received 700 new friend requests within a hour of the show being broadcast.

New Zealand's Department of Conservation and members of the kakapo recovery programme are now deciding the next move for the now internationally renowned parrot.

Sirocco is the face of the kakapo recovery programme and is described as an extraordinary and charismatic bird who has a strong affinity with humans. A respiratory illness suffered early in life meant that Sirocco had to be hand reared by the kakapo recovery team.

The kakapo recovery programme has helped the bird recover from a population of just 100 to 124.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/Green/2672484/Stephen-Fry-docu-parrots-romp-with-presenter-gets-500k-hits-on-YouTube.html#ixzz0TMRG19Kd