Andrew Digby

A kākāpō egg being candled. Credit: Andrew Digby

Working with #kakapo, this is the best thing you'll ever see. When "candling" an egg you hold your breath, hoping to see this: beautiful embryo development in a fertile egg. This is Tiwhiri's second egg, about 8 days old. About half of eggs are infertile. #kakapo2026 #conservation #birds

Four eggs in a kākāpō nest. Credit: Andrew Digby

Spent the night near #kakapo Tiwhiri’s nest on Anchor Island and checked it when she got off at 5am. Exciting to see 4 eggs. #kakapo2026 #conservation #birds

A female kakapo on a nest in a hole. Credit: Andrew Digby

Three more #kakapo nests found on Anchor Island in the last two days: JEM (2 eggs), Yasmine (1 egg) and Marama (photo; she was protective of her 2 eggs). There are now 11 females nesting on Anchor, 6 on Whenua Hou, and some (TBC) on Chalky. #kakapo2026 #conservation #parrots

No - her mating wasn't detected.

It's mainly because he's not a founder male, and we're focussing on those. He is also closely related (MSI = 6) to quite a lot of Whenua Hou females; but would be a candidate for some.

A female kākāpō on a nest with two eggs. Credit: Andrew Digby

Two more #kakapo nests found on Anchor today: Waa on 3 eggs and Hauturu (pic) on 2.
Also two matings last night:
Anchor: Konini 💚 Quill
Whenua Hou: Hera 💚 Tutoko
#conservation #kakapo2026 #birds

Last week no living person had seen a #kakapo lay an egg. Now you can watch it on our webcam: Rakiura laid her second today (15:01 on 25/1/2025). She'll probably lay another in 3 days' time. #conservation #kakapo2026 #birds www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/kak...

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

Two more #kakapAo matings last night, both on Whenua Hou:
- Bella 💚 Guapo
- Titapu 💚 Te Atapo
Here's Titapu as a chick ten years ago.
#conservation #birds #parrots

Two more #kākāpō matings last night, both on Anchor:
- Boomer 💚 Horton
- Konini 💚 Quill
Here's Boomer during the last breeding season.
#kakapo2026 #conservation #birds #parrots

Then we’d need a bigger hut. 🙂

We would eventually, but don’t expect to have to.

Is normal that they won’t. She should lay another egg tomorrow, and will start incubating soon after.

A female kakapo on a nest with one egg visible. Credit; Andrew Digby

Two more #kakapo nests found on Anchor today: Aparima, and Kuia (photo). 21 females have now mated on the island, with 6 nests known. #conservation #parrots #birds #kakapo2026

Kākāpō Cam: Rakiura the kākāpō – 2026 nest YouTube video by Department of Conservation

If anyone wants to see a livestream of a #kakapo on their nest, then Rakiura is back on her nest NOW. #kakapo2026 #conservation

www.youtube.com/live/BfGL7A2...

Kākāpō breeding whiteboard. Credit: Andrew Digby

Fridge update! This is how we track #kakapo breeding on the islands. Disclaimer: on Anchor this year it’s on a whiteboard, as there are too many birds to fit on the fridge! #conservation #birds #parrots

Kākāpō Cam: Rakiura live stream Watch the live stream of Rakiura the kākāpō on the remote, predator-free island of Whenua Hou/Codfish Island in Aotearoa, New Zealand. This is the first breeding season for this critically threatened ...

We've got a new #kakapo webcam! It's on Rakiura's nest on Whenua Hou. She laid an egg yesterday (we caught that on camera), but isn't incubating it yet. Follow to (hopefully) watch her lay more! #conservation #birds
www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/kak...

A female kākāpō on a nest, with one egg visible. Credit: Andrew Digby

Three #kakapo nests found on Anchor Island today! Here’s Waikawa, on two eggs. #conservation #birds #parrots

A kākāpō chick outside a nest. Credit: Andrew Digby

A new #kākāpō record: the youngest female to mate. Previously the youngest we'd recorded a female mating was just under 5 years old. Yesterday, Ongaonga (📸 as a chick) mated on Anchor, aged 3 years 10 months. It might be the first of many records broken in #kakapo2026. #conservation #birds

A female kākāpō in a roost in a hollow log. Credit: Andrew Digby

Many more #kakapo matings:
WH: Pura + Gulliver, Nora + Tutoko, Tumeke + Gulliver
Anchor: Kohengi + Tuterangi, JEM + Awhero, Phoenix + Jamieson, Ongaonga + Tuterangi, Galaxy + Ngatapa, Eva + Tamahou, Roha + Kokoto, Evohe + Henry
Te Kākahu: Rimu + Jack
Pic: Rimu
#conservation #parrots

A close-up photo of a male kākāpō being held. Credit; Andrew Digby

Two more #kakapo matings on Anchor:
JEM 💚 Awhero
Kohengi 💚 Tuterangi

Currently at least 12 females have mated on Anchor, 10 on Whenua Hou, and probably 2 on Te Kahahu/Chalky.

Plus 2 new nests: Marian on Anchor and Tohu on Whenua Hou.
#conservation #parrots #kakapo2026

Here's Awhero.

OK, I’ll keep them going. Thanks for your interest in #kakapo!

There's no clear effect, although some of the older mothers are very good at feeding and raising chicks. Some younger ones also are though.

Try "CAR-CAR-PAW". As @algeriaworblebot.bsky.social points out, the macrons (ā) mean a long vowel sound.

With the new transmitters there's a chance we might "miss" a few matings this year, and that seems to be the case: e.g. Tohu is nesting on Whenua Hou, but we didn't pick up a mating. There might be more too. Watch this space.... #kakapo #conservation

Agreed! A certain amount of "vigorous" activity switches on a receiver in the transmitter; if another is nearby with similar activity then it's logged as a mating, with a duration and quality score. We're using new transmitters, so are re-calibrating what's a mating. #kakapo

I'm aware that these #kakapo mating announcements might get a bit tedious! Feel free to mute; or be assured that it won't happen for another 2-3 years..... 🙂

A male kākāpō sitting in an underground roost, amongst tree roots. Credit: Andrew Digby

More #kakapo matings - another from Whenua Hou, and Te Kākahu/Chalky Island is off the mark! That's particularly exciting, as it's our low-intensity management site.
Whenua Hou: Tumeke 💚 Gulliver
Te Kākahu: Rimu 💚 Jack
#conservation #parrots A

A female kakapo on a nest with an egg. Credit: Andrew Digby

Three more #kakapo matings last night:
Whenua Hou:
- Nora 💚 Tutoko
- Pura 💚 Gulliver
Anchor:
- Toitiiti 💚 Deans
Great to see genetically important Gulliver mating, and matriarch Nora starting - her first known nest was in 1981! Here she is on her 2019 nest. #conservation #parrots

A kākāpō on a nest, crouched low and looking at the camera. Credit: Andrew Digby

A busy night of #kakapo breeding on Anchor last night:
Gertrude 💚 Ariki
JEM 💚 Waihopai
Atatu 💚 Kokoto
Kohengi 💚 Kotahitanga
None on Whenua Hou.
Here's JEM on her 2022 nest.
#conservation #parrots #birds

Yep - IF anyone finds them!