Andrew Digby

A photo of a kākāpō feeding at a food station during the day. Credit: Andrew Digby

We're not feeding #kakapo on Anchor Island this year: with a big rimu mast predicted, we're expecting them not to need help. It's also part of our plan to reduce management intensity. #conservation #parrots

#kakapo breeding starts with the feeding. For the last month we've been putting out food on Whenua Hou to get the adults into breeding condition. We need the males fat enough to boom and the females heavy enough to produce eggs (although not too hefty or their chicks will all be males). #parrots

Always good to know what your colleagues are! 🙂

An adult female kākāpō in an underground nest next to three eggs. Credit: Andrew Digby

Sad to report that we've lost another #kakapo, and a particularly significant one. Solstice was the last kākāpō rediscovered, found on Rakiura in 1997. She died on the weekend as a result of complications from the #disease cloacitis. There are now 237 kākāpō left. #conservation #parrots #birds

Saving the world’s fattest parrot: can we vaccinate our rarest species before bird flu gets to them? Trial in only continent untouched by avian flu suggests jabs will be key to survival as migration season approaches

We’re getting ready for a very large #kakapo breeding season this summer - and hoping avian influenza doesn’t arrive at the same time… 🤞🏻 #conservation #birds #parrots #disease
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Likely to be old age - nothing else clear from necropsy.

We aren’t able to vaccinate until HPAI is here, or very close to it. We don’t want to vaccinate too early to ensure optimal protection, and also due to restrictions on use of the vaccine.

A juvenile kākāpō on the forest floor during the day time. Credit: Andrew Digby

The #kakapo population has dropped to 238. Adult female Lisa was found dead on Anchor Island recently, and two of the 2019 cohort, Tūmanako and Whakakini, have not been since since then and so have been removed from the official count. #conservation #parrots #birds

Thanks Sally. We have had public displays of chicks when they were hand-reared on the mainland (including Invercargill in 2016 and 2019), although we're trying hard to keep as many in nests as possible. We only hand-rear when absolutely necessary.

Episode 4 — Kākāpō and Aardvarks Podcast Episode · Inside Henry's Head · 01/08/2025 · 26m

This is one of the best shows about #kakapo I've ever heard. Well worth 20 mins of your time. Lots of kākāpō facts and endearingly entertaining. Well done Henry! #conservation

podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/e...

Shock kiwi rediscovery delights conservation world Kiwi pukupuku/little spotted kiwi have been rediscovered in the wild on mainland Aotearoa for the first time in 50 years, shocking and delighting conservationists.

Huge news! Having spent a while studying #kiwi pukupuku, this got me very excited. Finding a remnant mainland population of LSK is probably more significant than finding more #kakapo. Huge respect to those involved and particularly the hunter who found them.
www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-r...

Huge thanks to the team at Dunedin Wildlife Hospital for their wonderful care and dedication in doing all they could to save Kuihi.

A female kākāpō with a small chick on a nest. Credit: Andrew Digby

We've lost female #kakapo Kuihi, who was euthanised at Dunedin Wildlife Hospital following weight loss and diagnosis of severe abdominal abnormalities. A reliable (foster) mother, she'll be sorely missed, especially in breeding seasons. There are 241 kākāpō left. #conservation #parrots

A kākāpō chick in a person's palm. Credit: Andrew Digby

Next stop, #kakapo! We’re also working with @dnature.bsky.social to use qPCR in the upcoming 2026 kākāpō breeding season. We’re hoping to use a simple bill swab to sex chicks at a very young age on the islands, so we can prioritise their care as soon as possible. #conservation #genetics

A takahē chick being held in a person's hands. Credit: Andrew Digby

Knowing the sex of #takahe chicks as soon as possible is important for efficient breeding management. With a new rapid #qPCR sex test developed by @dnature.bsky.social , we can now determine the sex of up to 48 chicks in less an hour in the field. A game changer! #conservation #genetics

A kākāpō chick wearing a transmitter on the forest floor at night. Credit: Andrew Digby

The new transmitter draws less power, is better integrated with our data networks, can be turned on and off remotely, and can be adjusted more easily. Plus it's cheaper! It's part of our efforts to make #kakapo conservation less intensive and more efficient. #conservation #parrots #birds

A transmitter on the back of a kākāpō. Credit: Bryony Hitchcock.

Every #kakapo wears a transmitter, and changing them has been a huge job every year. But this will no longer be an annual job, thanks to #technology wizardry from the DOC Electronics Team who have made a new version. #conservation #conservationtech Pic: Bryony Hitchcock

A kākāpō up a tree during the day, in dappled sunlight. Credit: Maddy Whittaker.

Our team have been working hard changing transmitters on all ~90 #kakapo on Whenua Hou, including Vori. Catching kākāpō can be tricky - especially since they often roost up trees. #conservation #parrots Pic: Maddy WhittakerA

Let me explain! #kakapo have been very intensively managed for the last 30 yrs - without this they’d be much closer to extinction. But as the population grows we can’t keep this up - and we want kākāpō to live more naturally. So we’re gradually stepping back with our interventions.

Both! More on this soon.... :-)

Two month-old kākāpō chicks in a nest. Credit: Andrew Digby

Ripe rimu fruit on branchlets held in a person's palm. Credit: Andrew Digby

At their current sites, #kakapo only breed in response to rimu 'masting' (mass-fruiting), which only happens every 2-4 years. The ripe fruit is a 'super food', rich in calcium (and perhaps vitamin D) necessary to raise chicks with large, heavy bones. #conservation #parrots

Fruit developing on a rimu tree branchlet. Credit: Andrew Digby

A kākāpō in a rimu tree. Credit: Andrew Digby

How do we know that #kakapo will breed next year? Each autumn, we inspect rimu trees: if more than 10% of branchlets are developing fruit, then there'll be a rimu 'mast' and kākāpō will nest. This year the counts are the highest we've ever seen, which means most females should breed. #conservation

A kākāpō on a nest in a hollow tree, with one egg visible. Credit: Andrew Digby

It's that time again! After a 4 year wait, we're predicting a big #kakapo breeding season this coming summer (early 2026). It's an exciting opportunity for us to reduce the intensity of our #conservation management methods. Read more here: blog.doc.govt.nz/2025/06/27/k... #parrots #birds

A kākāpō hiding in a hole in a tree during the daytime, with only its bottom half visible. Credit: Maddy Whittaker.

You can't see me, right?! Our ranger team are currently on Whenua Hou changing transmitters on the #kakapo population. This used to be an annual job, but will be less frequent now due to new #technology. This great photo of Rakiura was taken by ranger Maddy Whittaker. #conservation #parrots

No, they can’t as they have quite a complex (lek) breeding system. They can only live in captivity for short periods. We also manage genetics by translocations - being careful about which #kakapo are on each island.

A male kākāpō standing on the ground in day time. Credit: Andrew Digby

We attempt artificial insemination in #kakapo mainly to maintain genetic diversity. A new study describes how in 2019, with a team of German experts from @jlugiessen.bsky.social, we were successful for the first time in a decade. #conservation #parrots dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...

A male kākāpō looking at the camera in a close-up photo. The kākāpō is under astelia grasses in daylight. Credit: Andrew Digby

The #disease cloacitis has affected at least 47 #kakapo over the last 20 yrs, so finding a cause is a high priority. A new study led by @rebeccakfrench.bsky.social & ‪@jemmageoghegan.bsky.social has found that a strain of E. coli might be responsible. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Well spotted! It was the most appropriate #kakapo and rimu photo I could find. Thanks for the adoption!

A kākāpō in the top of a rimu tree in day time, against a blue sky. Credit: Scott Latimer.

There are only 242 #kakapo today, but they were once one of #NZ's most common birds and lived in all mainland forests. Lessons from fossils in a new study by @manaakiwhenua.bsky.social can help us find new habitat. #conservation www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379125001076 📸 S.Latimer

Daryl Eason with a kākāpō. Credit: Andrew Digby

We're delighted that Daryl Eason, our team's guru who's worked with #kakapo and #takahe for 30+ years, has been recognised for his huge contribution to #NZ #conservation. It's very richly deserved: both species owe so much to his efforts. Ka rawe Daryl!
www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3607...