@digs.bsky.social
Conservation biologist and former astrophysicist. Scientist for threatened birds with the #kakapo and #takahe programmes at the New Zealand Department of Conservation. Avatar: @blackmudpuppy.bsky.social
Transferring 5 #kakapo chicks from Whenua Hou to Anchor this week means that some more two-chick nests were created. With a more reliable food supply, most chicks on Anchor are growing fast - like these in Hine Taumai’s nest. #kakapo2026 #conservation #parrots #birds
Earlier this week we transferred five #kakapo chicks from Whenua Hou to Anchor, where there’s a better natural food supply. We managed to move the chicks into their new nests during the day. #kakapo2026 #conservation #birds
A health check for #kakapo chick Tiwhiri-A3 two nights ago. This is a genetically valuable (rank = gold) chick, so it gets more frequent health checks. It’s doing well. #kakapo2026 #conservation #parrots
Wow Carl! I thought you weren’t in Aotearoa for that long, but your photos put many of us who live here to shame! Congrats on some beautiful shots.
Good question. We couldn’t have done most of our work if they weren’t so tolerant. Fostering eggs and chicks had likely doubled the population.
One of the main measures we use to assess the health of #kakapo chicks is their weight. Tiwhiri-A3 and Tiwhiri-A4 are well above the mean expected for their age, so mother Tiwhiri is doing a great job feeding two chicks. #kakapo2026 #conservation #parrots
You know that feeling when you're struggling to stay awake? #kakapo chicks Tiwhiri-A3 and Tiwhiri-A4 in Tiwhiri's nest on Pukenui/Anchor Island. Both around two weeks old, and doing well. #kakapo2026 #conservation #parrots
Eva at her nest tonight on a very wet Pukenui/Anchor Island. Her chick Evohe-A2 is doing ok and her foster egg underneath her is about to hatch. #kakapo #conservation #kakapo2026 #birds
Let me start a belated thread of Aotearoa New Zealand silvan birds.
To lead things off, a New Zealand Bellbird photographed on Kapiti Island.
We agree, and are working closely with Ngāi Tahu on kākāpō recovery.
When assessing #kakapo chicks we weigh them, check their respiration rate and hydration. We usually do this twice in the first four days (this chick is less than a day old), and then every 5-7 days. The frequency of checks depends on their genetic priority. #kakapo2026 #conservation #parrots
Female #kakapo are utterly focussed on their chicks. Stella came back to the nest while I was checking her very young chicks two nights ago. Apparently unconcerned by me being there, she jumped in and started brooding them in front of me. #conservation #parrots #birds #kakapo2026
Exciting times on Anchor Island as we check #kakapo nests for hatching. We’re letting eggs hatch in nests to reduce management intensity. Last night I found these two newly-hatched chicks in Konini’s nest, along with a fertile egg I carried back under a lunar eclipse. #kakapo2026 #conservation
Female #kakapo Kohengi on her nest with a newly-hatched chick and an egg (unseen). We removed the egg from underneath her and gave it to another female (Phoenix) who had infertile eggs. We're trying to ensure each female on Anchor Island has 1-2 fertile eggs to hatch. #kakapo2026 #conservation
Checking on 1 day old #kakapo chick Waa-A3-2026 in Waa's nest on Pukenui/Anchor Island. We check the chicks twice in the first 4 days, and then less frequently as they get older. #kakapo2026 #conservation #parrots
Checking on #kakapo Waa's nest on Anchor Island a couple of nights ago: a day-old chick (Waa-A3-2026), and an externally-pipped egg, which hatched a few hours' later. #conservation #parrots #birds
Did you know you can see highlights from our #kakapo nestcam: www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...? In the last 24 hours we've seen a chick hatch and a rare short-tailed bat flying - and walking - around the nest. Exciting to see things never seen before! #conservation #kakapo2026
If you're watching our live #kakapo webcam: an egg near to hatching (Vori-A1-2026) will be put into the next in the next 10 mins. Keep watching over the coming hours/days to hopefully see a chick hatch! #kakapo2026 #conservation #parrots www.youtube.com/live/BfGL7A2...
The #kakapo chicks are coming thick and fast! We're now up to 10 hatched. Here are Tiwhiri-A1 and Tiwhiri-A2 receiving a health check at Yasmine's nest on Pukenui/Anchor Island. 📸: Lydia Uddstrom #kakapo2026 #conservation #birds #parrots
Following the #kakapo breeding season and want more detail? Don't forget to check out the "Kākāpō Files" #podcast from Radio NZ with the wonderful Alison Ballance. #kakapo2026 #conservation #parrots #birds www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/kaka...
Yep, rest assured: this is just a quick visual summary for the hut. We have an extensive database with records for every observation we make.
#kakapo breeding "fridge" update.
Good news: 9 chicks hatched, and 123 fertile eggs in total - including all three 4 year old females having fertile clutches!
Bad news: a few egg deaths in the last couple of days.
Kākāpō breeding seasons are a roller-coaster! #kakapo2026 📸: Lydia Uddstrom
Female #kakapo Dusky on her nest on Te Kākahu/Chalky Island. We've just spent a few days on the island ensuring all 10 nests have at least one fertile egg. This is part of our trial to assess how well they can raise chicks without our help. #kakapo2026 #conservation #birds #parrots
The second #kakapo chick of the #kakapo2026 breeding season hatched this morning: Hine Taumai-A1-2026 on Ako's nest on Te Kākahu. We transferred the egg from Anchor two nights ago. This is Ako's first-ever chick, which is just a few hours old in this video. #conservation #birds #parrots
On Te Kākahu/Chalky Island, our low-intensity trial site for #kakapo. Here trying to ensure each female has fertile eggs before we return in about two months to see how many have turned into chicks! Last night swapped these 4 infertiles in Aumaria’s for one fertile egg from Anchor. #conservation
The first #kakapo chick for four years hatched two days ago (on Valentine’s Day for those who like to anthropomorphise!). Here’s Tiwhiri-A1-2026 in Yasmine’s nest. 📸: Deidre Vercoe. www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-r... #kakapo2026 #conservation #parrots #birds
Hi Auckland friends, I'll be in town and giving a couple of seminars this coming Thursday. Details below.
We trying to have most #kakapo chicks hatch in nests on Pukenui, so don't have many eggs in the incubators. But there are ~4 which we're incubating and will put in nests just before they hatch. The Anchor chicks are due to start hatching soon - watch this space! #kakapo2026 #conservation
Quick #kakapo “fridge” update, as things are changing fast. May contain errors! #kakapo2026 #birds #parrots
Well spotted! How chicks would fledged from that nest is our biggest concern. If we do put chicks in we might have to build a ramp!