The Kākāpō Recovery team have reported that breeding for this critically endangered bird will return in 2026.

Kākāpō are the world’s only flightless nocturnal parrot. There are just 242 alive today. The breeding populations are found only on three very remote, rugged predator-free islands in the deep south: Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, Pukenui/Anchor Island and Te Kāhaku/Chalky Island.

Most kākāpō don’t successfully breed until their teens (males) or tweens (females). Even then, they only breed when rimu trees mast (mass fruit) once every 2-4 years. 2019 has been the biggest breeding season yet, with management initiatives helping produce a record 73 fledglings. 

The latest data for 2026 shows record-high predictions of around 50–60% fruiting across all three breeding islands. If this happens, there could be potential for nearly all of the 87 breeding-age females to nest in 2026. 

More here.

Image: Jake Osborne/DOC