Kākāpō: Difference between revisions

Kakapo Template:StatusCritical
Kakapo
Template:Regnum: Animalia Template:Phylum: Chordata Template:Classis: Aves Template:Ordo: Psittaciformes Template:Familia: Psittacidae Template:Genus: Strigops [[{{{1}}}{{{2}}} {{{3}}}|{{{1}}}. {{{3}}}]]: habroptilus
Binomial name
Strigops habroptilus

The Kakapo, or Whakapapa (Strigops habroptilus), is a remarkable bird native to the islands of New Zealand. Kakapo are the largest parrots in the world, as well as the only species of flightless parrot. Kakapo are critically endangered, with only 83 individuals registered with the New Zealand Department of Conservation. Prehistorically, Kakapo migrated to the islands of New Zealand and, finding no mammalian predators, it lost the ability to fly. With European and Polynesian colonization, however, and the introduction of predators like cats, rats, and stoats, almost all Kakapo were wiped out. In 1995, there were only 50 known surviving Kakapo. Today, there are 83 registered Kakapo, each having been given a name by Kakapo Conservation staff. It is the only species in the genus Strigops and subfamily Strigopinae.

Physical Characteristics

Kakapo are large, flightless, mottled green parrots. They can measure up to 60 cm and weigh between 3 and 4 kg at maturity. The Kakapo has many characteristcs that separate it from other species of parrot. Kakapo are unable to fly, having wings that appear quite short for their size. They lack the pronounced keel bone (sternum) that anchors the flight muscles of other birds.

Kakapo have very small gizzards compared to other birds of their size. Their beaks are specially adapted for grinding their food very finely. Kakapos' feet are large, scaly, and superficially similar to those of other parrots. They have large claws that are particularly useful for climbing.

Their exceptionally soft feathers are primarily green with black streaks, blending well with the native vegetation. Thier underbellies, necks, and faces are a more yellowish color, with great variability between individuals. Some seem to be mostly green, while older museum specimens display birds with primarily yellow coloring. Kakapo have fine feathers that surround their eyes, giving them an appearance similar to some owls. Delicate “whiskers” surround their beaks, which they use to sense the ground as they walk with their heads lowered.

One of the most striking characteristics of Kakapo is their powerful odor. It has been variously described as like flowers and honey, an air freshener, or the inside of an antique violin case. Though certainly not unpleasant, the smell has often lead predators right to the relatively defenseless Kakapo.

Behavior

Kakapo are primarily nocturnal, sleeping during the day and roving their territories at night. They create nests for sleeping and rearing young, which are usually located high in trees. Though the Kakapo cannot fly up to their nests, they are excellent climbers. They have also been known to “parachute” from heights by spreading their wings, floating gently to the forest floor.

Having lost the ability to fly, Kakapo have developed very strong legs. They can walk great distances in search of food, often ranging over several kilometers in the course of a night. Kakapo are able to run at a fair speed, but are unable to run for long distances.

The diet of a Kakapo is strictly herbivorous, depending on a wide variety of native plants, seeds, fruits, and pollens. They are particularly fond of the fruit of the rimu tree, and will feed on it exclusively during seasons when it is most abundant. Kakapo have a distinctive habit of grabbing a leaf or frond with a foot and stripping the nutritious parts of the plant out with their beaks, leaving a ball of indigestible fiber, similar to the way humans eat only the tender parts of artichokes. The little clumps of plant fibers are a distinctive sign that Kakapo are about.

Kakapo are naturally curious, and though they live solitary lives in remote places, they have been known to enjoy the occasional company of humans. Conservation staff and Volunteers have interacted extensively with some birds, and they are known to have distinct, and often charming, personalities.

Like many parrots, Kakapo have a wide range of calls used for various purposes. In addition to the “booms” and “chings” of their mating calls, they are often known to “skraark” to announce their location to other birds.

One behavior that has not recently served Kakapo well is their reaction to a predator or threat. When Kakapo feel threatened, they simply freeze, hoping to blend in with the vegetation that they so resemble. This was a good strategy to foil their only native predator, a giant species of eagle that became extinct long ago, but does not protect them from the newer predators who have excellent senses of smell.

Breeding

Kakapo are the only parrots in the world that have a lek breeding system. When a male wants to attract a female, he gathers air into a thoracic sac and produces a very deep "boom." This sound can be heard for up to 10 miles (16 km), as it sounds at such a low frequency. Each male may produce thousands of these noises per night, especially if he is competing with another suitor. These sounds lure female Kakapo to the breeding "bowls," depressions dug into the ground by the males, often at the very tops of mountains. The bowls are connected with a network of trails which are meticulously groomed and maintained by the males. Once a male has mated, he leaves the female to do the work of laying the eggs and raising the chicks. He continues booming until he finds another female.

Female Kakapo lay between one and four eggs per breeding cycle. They incubate the eggs faithfully, but are forced to leave them every night in search of food. Eggs have been known to be eaten by predators or freeze to death in the mothers’ absence. Consequently, once eggs have been laid in a nest, a nightly watch is instituted to help ensure their safety. Conservators employ many methods and devices to monitor the Kakapo's nests. Many faithfully watch over their charges with closed-circuit cameras, while others use electronic-eye “doorbells” to alert them to when the mother Kakapo leaves the nest at night to forage. At that time, staff swoop into action and cover the eggs with a heating pad to keep them warm. Nests are also sprinkled with flea powder since one mother accidentally crushed an egg while scratching.

Kakapo eggs usually hatch within 30 days, bearing fluffy gray chicks that are quite helpless. The young chicks are just as vulnerable to predators as the eggs, and young have been killed by many of the same predators that attack adults. Chicks fledge and leave the nest at about 10 to 12 weeks of age. As they gain greater independence, their mothers may feed them sporadically for up to 6 months.

Since Kakapo are quite long-lived (perhaps up to 60 years), they tend to enjoy an adolescence before beginning breeding. Males do not start to boom until about 5 years of age. Females do not seek out males until they are between 9 and 11 years. Though this is quite a long delay before they start reproduction, Kakapo are thought to live at least 60 years, leaving plenty of time to perpetuate the species.

Recently, concerned humans have intervened heavily in the breeding of the Kakapo in hopes to preserve the species and maximize their genetic diversity. Birds are moved between islands both to keep them safe and to encourage them to mate with several different individuals over the course of their lives. Females are given nutritional supplementation at personal "feeding stations" in the hope that they will be able to produce young every year, as opposed to the more usual interval of two or three years. Sometimes, chicks are removed from their mothers to encourage the laying of a second brood. Older females can function as "surrogate mothers" and have successfully raised chicks to adulthood.

One bird is particularly important to the genetic diversity of the species. Richard Henry is the only known Kakapo from the mainland population, the others being descended from protected populations originating on the small islands. Interestingly, he has a more yellow coloration than the other Kakapo and seems to boom in a different "dialect" than the others. Fortunately, he seems to be popular with the female birds.

Habitat

While the Kakapo once had a wide range on the main islands, now only a few small islands support the entire population: Maud Island, Fiordland, Whenua Hou, and Hauturu. They were once found throughout the country, at both low and high altitudes. Kakapo used to inhabit various environments, including the native forests and high altitude grasslands, but are now restricted to the wooded preserves of the islands.

Threats

Kakapo face danger from many alien predators introduced by both European and Maori settlers. Domesticated cats and dogs are just as dangerous to Kakapo as their semi-feral cousins. Ferrets, rats, and stoats are major threats to both juvenile and adult Kakapo. The Maori people introduced a Polynesian rat called a kiore which can kill Kakapo, but is less of a threat than other predators. The island preserves undergo regular campaigns to eradicate non-native animals, but stoats have been known to swim more than a mile to recolonize the islands. Introduced deer do not prey on Kakapo, but they compete with them for food and have even caused some preferred plant species to become extinct.

In the past, both Maori and Europeans hunted Kakapo, but humans no longer pose a threat to them. Kakapo are so popular that it is almost inconceivable that any one would harm them.

History

Kakapo migrated to the islands of New Zealand thousands of years ago. It is hypothesized that when they arrived, they were much more similar to the smaller, lighter parrots of the rest of the world. Over time, they became larger, heavier, and lost the ability to fly. Interestingly, the only mammals native to New Zealand are three species of small bats, and it seems that birds have adapted to fill the niches that mammals occupy in other parts of the world. Before the arrival of humans, Kakapo were wildly successful; it is hypothesized that there were hundreds of thousands alive at any one time.

The first major threat to Kakapo came with the arrival of Polynesians a few thousand years ago. They brought the kiore rat with them, but the destruction of native habitat seems to have been the most damaging to the Kakapo. Maori were also known to have hunted Kakapo for food and for their feathers, which were made into luxurious capes. The Kakapo are now one of the Maori’s most sacred species, and are thus protected.

The Europeans who arrived about 150 years ago cleared huge amounts of land for farming and grazing, further jeopardizing the Kakapo and their habitat. The rats, stoats, dogs, and cats that they brought also hunted thousands of Kakapo. The settlers did not discover the Kakapo until 1845, but it was soon found to be a tasty meal. Huge numbers of people were fed on Kakapo, including miners, explorers, and tourists. In the late 1800’s, Kakapo became well known as a scientific curiosity, increasing demand for stuffed specimens and pelts.

By the 1930’s, such activities had taken a terrible toll on the Kakapo population. They had become extinct on the North Island and their numbers were decreasing dramatically on the South Island. Eventually, they became too scarce to be a viable food source for humans, but they were still being hunted by predators.

Conservation

The first attempt at conservation of Kakapo was made in 1894 by Conservationist Richard Henry (namesake of a famous Kakapo). He convinced the government to help move several hundred Kakapo to Resolution Island in Fiordland, which was then free of predators. Sadly, the entire population was destroyed within 6 years when stoats swam to and colonized the island.

Unfortunately, world events superseded the conservation efforts during the World Wars and the Great Depression. While most people’s attention was understandably elsewhere, the Kakapo population continued to decline. In the 1950’s, the New Zealand Wildlife Service began sending regular expeditions to search for Kakapo; mostly in the rugged Fiordland and northwest Nelson regions. From 1949 until 1973, only six Kakapo were found on all the expeditions. All were males, and most died quickly in captivity.

By 1974, no live Kakapo were known to exist. Things did not seem much better when 18 males were found in 1977: there seemed to be no female Kakapo alive. The situation brightened considerably later that year when 200 Kakapo were found living on Stewart island, but that population was declining quickly due to the predation of feral cats. The Steward Island birds and their descendants now comprise the vast majority of living Kakapo. Only one bird from the mainland, Richard Henry, is known to have survived.

The [www.kakaporecovery.org.nz Kakapo Recovery Programme] currently manages the surviving Kakapo and oversees their breeding. Their team has developed strategies for feeding the Kakapo, checking their health, moving birds between predator-free islands, and minding unprotected eggs and nestlings. Some young Kakapo have even been hand-reared to adulthood and released. Though the future looks brighter, Kakapo are in an extremely perilous position, and the death of even a few birds could jeopardize the population.

Individuals

Every known Kakapo has been given a name by Kakapo Recovery Programme officials. As of July, 2004 they are as follows:

• Females:

• • Alice
  • Aparima (Mother: Wendy Born: 2001/2002 breeding season)
  • Aranga (M: Lisa B: 1999)
  • Aroha (M: Sue B: 2001/2002 Died: July, 2004)
  • Aurora (M: Zephyr B: 2001/2002 D: July, 2004)
  • Bella
  • Boomer (B: 1999)
  • Cyndy
  • Ellie (M: Lisa B: 1999)
  • Esperance (M: Flossie B: 2001/2002)
  • Flossie
  • Fuchsia
  • Hananui (M: Lisa B: 2001/2002)
  • Hauturu (M: Lisa B: 1999)
  • Heather
  • Hine taumai (M: Wendy B: 2001/2002)
  • Hoki (Hand-raised, subject of a book by her caretaker)
  • Jane
  • Jean
  • Konini (M: Fuchsia B: 2001/2002)
  • Kuia (M: Flossie B: 1998)
  • Kuihi (M: Jean B: 2001/2002)
  • Lisa
  • Maggie
  • Marama (M: Margaret-Maree B: 2001/2002)
  • Margaret-Maree
  • Mila (M: Margaret-Maree B: 2001/2002)
  • Monoa (M: Margaret-Maree B: 2001/2002)
  • Nora
  • Pearl (M: Alice B: 2001/2002)
  • Rakiura (M: Flossie B: 2001/2002)
  • Ruth
  • Sandra
  • Sara
  • Solstice
  • Sue
  • Suzanne
  • Tumeke (M: Wendy B: 2001/2002)
  • Vollie (M: Ruth B: 2001/2002 D: July, 2004)
  • Wendy
  • Zephyr

• Males

• • Al (M: Alice B: 2001/2002)
  • Arab
  • Ariki (M: Sara B: 2001/2002)
  • Barnard
  • Basil
  • Ben
  • Bill
  • Blades
  • Blake (M: Jean B: 2001/2002)
  • Bonus
  • Boss
  • Dobbie
  • Doc (M: Ruth B: 2001/1001)
  • Felix
  • Gulliver (M: Flossie B: 1998)
  • Gumboots
  • Gunner
  • Horton (M: Cyndy B: 2001/2002)
  • Jimmy
  • Joe
  • Lee
  • Lionel
  • Luke
  • Manu (M: Alice B: 1997)
  • Merty
  • Merv
  • Morehu (B: 1999)
  • Nog
  • Ox
  • Palmer-san (M: Heather B: 2001/2002)
  • Piripi
  • Ralph
  • Richard Henry
  • Robbie (M: Heather B: 2001/2002)
  • Sass
  • Sinbad (M: Flossie B: 1998)
  • Sirroco (M: Zephyr B: 1997 Hand-raised)
  • Smoko
  • Stumpy
  • Takitimu (M: Sue B: 2001/2002)
  • Te Kingi (M: Jean B: 2001/2001)
  • Tiwai (M: Zephyr B: 1997)
  • Trevor (B: 1999)
  • Waynebo
  • Whiskas

Updates

In July, 2004, three juvenile female kakapo were killed by complications from an ericipillis infection, reducing the number of living birds from 86 to 83. After becoming ill during a transfer between islands, the birds developed sepsis and quickly died. This bacteria has been known it infect pigs, dolphins, sheep, humans, and birds such as turkeys. Young animals are usually the most seriously affected. A vaccine is available for the ericipillis bacteria, and all Kakapo are currently being innoculated.

External Links

• Kakapo Recovery Programme
• The Fabulous Kakapo Parrot
• The Kiwi Conservation Club