DOCSLIB.ORG

Kakapokakapo –– Managementmanagement Andand Recoveryrecovery

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Kakapokakapo –– Managementmanagement Andand Recoveryrecovery KakapoKakapo managementmanagement andand recoveryrecovery The kakapo (owl parrot) Strigops habroptilus is a large, flightless, nocturnal, parrot endemic to New Zealand. This unique, lek- Jason Hamill breeding bird was once abundant throughout the country. Human Dept. of Conservation activity and introduced predators have led to the kakapos decline. Codfish Island Field Centre Its population was only 50 birds in 1995. Kakapo breeding coincides PO Box 743, Invercargill with the mast fruiting of Podocarp trees. The birds are now confined New Zealand to three predator-free islands, off southern New Zealand. Intensive management of the species has raised the total to 86, representing a 72% population increase in 8 years. General management To save the kakapo, a dedicated National Kakapo Team was established within the Department of Conservation, with strong support from our sponsor, Comalco. Key techniques Rimu fruit Telemetry All birds wear radio transmitters so their movements can be monitored. Supplementary feeding Most birds receive supplementary food to improve their condition and induce breeding; and to assist the females in providing for their chicks. At feeding stations, dataloggers record the presence and weights of Feeder individual birds. This allows a better understanding of the birds condition and manipulation of food allocations accordingly. Fertility testing Increasing the fertility of eggs has the potential to greatly increase the kakapos rate of recovery. The technique of electro- ejaculation has been used to test the viability of male sperm. Infertile males are translocated to another island: their removal from the breeding population avoids fruitless competition with fertile individuals. Attaching a transmitter Breeding season management Nest management Nests are found by using careful telemetry (radio- tracking of females). Progress on recovery 1996-2003 Eggs are candled to assess their viability. Infertile eggs are removed to induce females to double- 21 new females clutch. 17 new males Eggs are transferred between nests to ensure that Volunteer nest minder 72% increase since 1996 each female hatches no more than two chicks, and that the young are of equal age. 100 Nest chambers are modified when necessary, to 86 86 80 enable monitoring and intervention in an Bred on islands 51 51 54 57 62 62 62 emergency. 60 Stewart Island 40 Transferred from All nests are monitored day and night, with the Stewart Island 20 Transferred from females activities videotaped so that any Fiordland anomalies can be detected. Number of kakapo 0 Breeding year 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Modified nest Chick health Chicks are weighed regularly. The data are used to determine normal growth curves and establish thresholds from which chick health and development At this point all targets of the can be assessed and managed. Kakapo Recovery Plan 19962005 (published in June Underweight chicks may require hand-raising before being returned to the wild. 1996) have been exceeded. Hand feeding All photos: Don Merton Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai DOC Science Poster no 65 (edition 1 Nov 2003) prepared by Chris Edkins Other titles available from DOC Science Publiishing, Dept. of Conservation, Box 10420, Wellington..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Species Richness Covaries with Mating System in Birds
    The Auk 113(3):544-551, 1996 SPECIES RICHNESS COVARIES WITH MATING SYSTEM IN BIRDS SHAIBAL MITRA, •'3 HANS LANDEL,TM AND STEPHENPRUETT-JONES 2 •Committeeon EvolutionaryBiology and 2Department of Ecologyand Evolution, Universityof Chicago,1101 East 57th Street,Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA ABSTRACT.--Manystudies have soughtto identify traitsthat influencethe relative number of speciesin related taxa.We examinedwhether speciesrichness was associatedwith social mating systemin birds. Taxa with promiscuousmating systemstended to be more species- rich than their nonpromiscuoussister taxa. This associationwas statistically significant when examinedwith teststhat take into accountthe magnitudesof paired contrasts.The results do not arisefrom covariationbetween mating system and bodysize. We discussthese findings in the contextof the hypothesisthat sexualselection promotes speciation. Received 16 February 1995, accepted25 April 1995. AMONGTHE MOST important questionsin evo- ation in coloration and ornamentation, whereas lutionary biology are thoseconcerned with fac- the females are relatively uniform in appear- tors affectingspeciation. Many traits have been ance. Such variation among males often pro- proposedas key innovationsor adaptivebreak- vides criteria for species'boundaries according throughs responsiblefor the diversificationof to the phylogenetic speciesconcept (Cracraft particular taxa, but empirical testsof such hy- 1983, McKitrick and Zink 1988). Moreover, these potheseshave proven methodotogicatlydiffi- traits are inferred to function
    [Show full text]
  • Birds of the World Four
    Birds of the World IV: Parrots through Woodpeckers Order Psittaciformes, Parrots and Allies Order Cuculiformes, Cuckoos and Allies Some authors recognize three families in this order, others recog- Nearly cosmopolitan land birds with zygodactyl feet (fourth toe nized only one. We will follow the latter approach. permanently reversed), large, often decurved bills, and long tails. Three families, two presented here. Family Psittacidae, Parrots (80/360) Family Cuculidae, Cuckoos, Anis, Roadrunner (21/97) Distribution.— Pantropical and south temperate. (the North temperate Carolina Parakeet was driven to extinction in the Distribution.— Cosmopolitan in temperate and tropical regions 1920’s). except Oceania. Characteristics.— Small to large birds (10–100 cm). Powerful Characteristics.— Small to medium-sized birds (15–80 cm). hooked beak, upper mandible articulated and movable. The Bill stout, decurved. Body slim, legs typically short, feet zygodactyl. bulging cere is feathered in some species. Large head and short Tail long, graduate. Plumage loose, usually dull colored. Sexes alike. neck. Feet zygodactyl. Well developed crop. Oil gland often absent. Habitat.— Wide range of habitats, forests or open brushland typ- Plumage sparse, hard, and glossy. Most are brightly colored, often ical. green. Powder downs are scattered throughout the plumage. Sexes Habits.— Northern species are migratory. Most are solitary alike. Calls usually noisy, harsh, and screeching; not imitative in except the anis. Most species are arboreal and insectivorous (many nature. Very long lived (up to 80 years in captivity). Considered to eat hairy caterpillars). Voice is loud and non-musical. be highly intelligent. Breeding.— About fifty species are brood parasites, some obli- Habitat.— Mostly found in forests, especially tropical lowland gate.
    [Show full text]
  • Avian Crop Function–A Review
    Ann. Anim. Sci., Vol. 16, No. 3 (2016) 653–678 DOI: 10.1515/aoas-2016-0032 AVIAN CROP function – A REVIEW* * Bartosz Kierończyk1, Mateusz Rawski1, Jakub Długosz1, Sylwester Świątkiewicz2, Damian Józefiak1♦ 1Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Management, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wołyńska 33, 60-637 Poznań, Poland 2Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, National Research Institute of Animal Production, 32-083 Balice n. Kraków, Poland ♦Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract The aim of this review is to present and discuss the anatomy and physiology of crop in different avian species. The avian crop (ingluvies) present in most omnivorous and herbivorous bird spe- cies, plays a major role in feed storage and moistening, as well as functional barrier for pathogens through decreasing pH value by microbial fermentation. Moreover, recent data suggest that this gastrointestinal tract segment may play an important role in the regulation of the innate immune system of birds. In some avian species ingluvies secretes “crop milk” which provides high nutri- ents and energy content for nestlings growth. The crop has a crucial role in enhancing exogenous enzymes efficiency (for instance phytase and microbial amylase,β -glucanase), as well as the activ- ity of bacteriocins. Thus, ingluvies may have a significant impact on bird performance and health status during all stages of rearing. Efficient use of the crop in case of digesta retention time is es- sential for birds’ growth performance. Thus, a functionality of the crop is dependent on a number of factors, including age, dietary factors, infections as well as flock management.
    [Show full text]
  • American Paleontologist Pages 1 and 4
    FinalV OLUMEIssue 19, NUMBER 4 AMERICAN WINTER 2012 PALEONTOLOGIST A MAGAZINE OF EARTH SCIENCE PUBLISHED BY THE PALEONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTION AND ITS MUSEUM OF THE EARTH The Last Good Buy Birds in the New Age of Extinction Also in this issue... An Inordinate Fondness for Vertebrae page 20 Goodbye American Paleontologist pages 1 and 4 ...plus much more! US $5.00 FEATURE ARTICLE Th e Last Good Buy: Birds in the New Age of Extinction By Constance M. Soja Th e oldest fossils belonging to the undisputed bird survivors of the end-Mesozoic biodiversity crisis experienced Archaeopteryx date back 140-150 million years to the extraordinary evolutionary radiations. Co-adapting to the Mesozoic. During that geologic era, dinosaurs dominated brave new world, they fi lled vacated ecologic niches and terrestrial ecosystems around the globe. Pterosaurs – evolved into the iconic species that defi ne the Cenozoic – dinosaurs' evolutionary cousins, the fl ying reptiles – soared our modern world and Earth's current great geologic era. overhead, and an astounding variety of diminutive to gigantic With most animal and plant groups of the Mesozoic laid to aquatic reptiles – ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, pliosaurs, and rest, new species rose to dominance, and new competitive mosasaurs – cruised the world's oceans. Consuming squid- relationships were established. Oversized, fl ightless "terror like belemnoid and ammonoid prey, those top predators birds" – T. rex ultimate but down-sized body doubles – were also swam in the shallow seaways that fl ooded the interior pitted against fox- and pony-sized mammals, which in the of North America and other continents. Within 80 million previous 150 million years had been small, nocturnal, rat- years, the Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction that brought like animals eeking out a subsidiary existence.
    [Show full text]
  • Grounded Birds in New Zealand
    Flightless Grounded Birds in New Zealand An 8th Grade Research Paper By Nathaniel Roth Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School June 2014 1 More than half of the birds in New Zealand either can’t fly, can only partially fly, or don’t like to fly. (Te Ara) This is a fact. Although only sixteen species in New Zealand are technically flightless, with another sixteen that are extinct (TerraNature), a majority of more than 170 bird species will not fly unless their lives are threatened, or not even then. This is surprising, since birds are usually known for flying. A flightless bird is a bird that cannot fly, such as the well­known ostrich and emu, not to mention penguins. The two main islands southeast of Australia that make up New Zealand have an unusually diverse population of these birds. I am personally very interested in New Zealand and know a lot about it because my mother was born there, and I still have family there. I was very intrigued by these birds in particular, and how different they are from most of the world’s birds. I asked myself, why New Zealand? What made this tiny little country have so many birds that can’t fly, while in the rest of the world, hardly any live in one place? My research has informed me that the population and diversity of flightless birds here is so large because it has been isolated for so long from other land masses. Almost no mammals, and no land predators, lived there in the millions of years after it split from the Australian continent, so flying birds didn’t have as much of an advantage during this time.
    [Show full text]
  • Which Birds Can't Fly? a List of Birds That Are Flightless
    Which Birds Can't Fly? A List of Birds That Are Flightless worldatlas.com/articles/flightless-birds-from-around-the-world.html May 17, 2016 An Australian Emu posing for the camera. Below we have listed a few notable flightless birds, though obviously not all of these largely land-restricted avian species. Other notable flightless bird species include emus, rheas, certain teals and scrubfowls, grebes, cormorants, and various rails, just to name a few. Cassowary 1/11 The flightless birds of Papua New Guinea, northeastern Australia, and some other islands of Oceania, the cassowaries are quite well known for their fierce reputation. Though they cannot fly they can definitely scare away their enemies with their violent nature and hidden claws. Many human and animal deaths have been reported to be caused by these birds. The birds are omnivorous in nature, feeding on fruits, fungi, insects and other species. Among the three species of cassowary, the southern cassowary is the third tallest bird in the world and is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to its steadily decreasing numbers. Kakapo 2/11 The kakapo, a unique species of flightless parrot, is endemic to New Zealand and is almost on the verge of extinction, classified as critically endangered by the IUCN. The fact that kakapos are nocturnal in nature, flightless and do not exhibit any male parental care, makes them different from other parrots of the world. They are also the heaviest among the parrots and exhibit the lek system of mating. For years these birds have been hunted by the Maori tribes of New Zealand for meat and feathers.
    [Show full text]
  • The Development and Improvement of Instructions
    INSIGHTS ON PSITTACINE NUTRITION THROUGH THE STUDY OF FREE-LIVING CHICKS A Dissertation by JUAN CORNEJO Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May 2012 Major Subject: Veterinary Microbiology Insights on Psittacine Nutrition through the Study of Free-living Chicks Copyright 2012 Juan Cornejo INSIGHTS ON PSITTACINE NUTRITION THROUGH THE STUDY OF FREE-LIVING CHICKS A Dissertation by JUAN CORNEJO Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved by: Co-Chairs of Committee, Donald J. Brightsmith Christopher A. Bailey Committee Members, Ian R. Tizard Ellen S. Dierenfeld Head of Department, Linda Logan May 2012 Major Subject: Veterinary Microbiology iii ABSTRACT Insights on Psittacine Nutrition through the Study of Free-living Chicks. (May 2012) Juan Cornejo, B.S., Universidad de Navarra Co-Chairs of Committee: Dr. Donald J. Brightsmith Dr. Christopher A. Bailey The Psittacidae is one of the most endangered families of birds in the world. Knowledge of its nutrition is important for understanding their survival and productivity in the wild, as well as for their adequate husbandry in captivity. Hand-rearing is a common practice for this group. However, research on their requirements is limited. Analysis of the crop content of chicks can provide new insights into psittacine nutrition, but it is limited by the small sizes of samples which can be obtained. We sampled the crops from free-living chicks of scarlet macaws and red-and-green macaws from southeastern Peru, Cuban parrots from the Bahamas, lilac-crowned parrots from northwestern Mexico, and thick- billed parrots from northern Mexico.
    [Show full text]
  • Strigops Habroptilus)
    Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Author. The ecology and anatomy of scent in the critically endangered kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand Anna Clarissa Gsell May 2012 Hoki, the kakapo - Photo by Dr. Luis Ortiz Catedral Kakapo chicks born in 2008;©Photo by Chris Birmingham ABSTRACT The focus of the research presented here is the analysis of feather scent emitted by a parrot, the kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) and the kakapo’s ability to perceive scent by studying the anatomy of its brain and the olfactory bulb. In addition, behavioural research was conducted to determine the capability of the kakapo’s closest relatives, the kea (Nestor notabilis) and kaka (N. meridionalis) to detect scents and to distinguish between different concentrations of scents. The strong odour of the kakapo is one of the many unique characteristics of this critically endan- gered parrot, but its sense of smell has never been described in detail. The kakapo is the largest par- rot worldwide, it is nocturnal and flightless. Kakapo are herbivorous and it is the only parrot with a lek breeding system. Males defend several display arenas during the breeding season and continu- ously produce low frequency booming calls. Females come from afar and appraise different males and choose one with which they want to mate.
    [Show full text]
  • Parrot Conservation on Mauritius
    Listening to Echos and Se a r ching for Ghosts Parrot Conservation on Mauritius by CARL JONES It is a wonder ful privilege to accept the Car olina Medal for myself, have removed the eggs and and on behalf of the conservation team on Mauritius, in r ecognition young for captive r earing, of our work on the Echo Parakeet. But we should not for get that thereby saving many birds that without the help of the World Par rot Tr ust we would not have would have otherwise perished. achieved as much. These birds have been used to establish our captive population The conser vation work on the Echo Parakeet started in 1974 but due or have been returned to the to a shor tage of funds did not really take off until 1990 when we wild. were lucky enough to join for ces with the World Parr ot Trust. Like many important unions our meeting was for tuitous. I was talking at a We found that few pairs, if they captive br eeding conference. In my presentation I mentioned that the succeed, rear more that a single Echo Parakeet had a perilously low population and would likely baby even thought they may lay become extinct, not because we did not know how to save it, but and hatch three eggs. If birds because there was not enough money to make the pr oject work. After are left with a whole br ood, all my talk Mike Reynolds appr oached offering the help of the World the young may be compromised Parrot Trust.
    [Show full text]
  • A Parrot Apart: the Natural History of the Kakapo (Strigops Habroptilus), and the Context of Its Conservation Management
    A parrot apart: the natural history of the kakapo (Strigops habroptilus), and the context of its conservation management RALPH G. POWLESLAND Abstract Since the last review of kakapo biology, published 50 years ago, much Research, Development & Improvement has been learnt as a result of the transfer of all known individuals to offshore islands, Division, Department of Conservation, P.O. and their intensive management to increase adult survival and productivity. This Box 10-420, Wellington, New Zealand review summarises information on a diversity of topics, including taxonomy, plumage, [email protected] moult, mass, anatomy, physiology, reasons for decline in distribution, present numbers and status, sex ratio, habitat, home range, foraging activities, diet, voice, DON V. MERTON breeding biology, nesting success, sexual maturity, and adult survival. In addition, Honorary Research Associate, Research, those kakapo attributes that compromise its long-term survival in present-day New Development & Improvement Division, Zealand are discussed, along with management practises developed to overcome Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 10- these problems. 420, Wellington, New Zealand Powlesland, R.G.; Merton, D.V.; Cockrem, J.F. 2006. A parrot apart: the natural JOHN F. COCKREM history of the kakapo (Strigops habroptilus), and the context of its conservation Conservation Endocrinology Research management. Notornis 53 (1): 3 - 26. Group, Institute of Veterinary, Animal & Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Keywords Kakapo; Strigops habroptilus; Psittacidae; endangered species; review; Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, natural history; management practices; predatory mammals New Zealand INTRODUCTION The kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) is a large parrot (males 1.6 – 3.6 kg, females 0.9 – 1.9 kg) (Higgins 1999), with finely barred or mottled yellowish-green plumage.
    [Show full text]
  • Of Parrots 3 Other Major Groups of Parrots 16
    ONE What are the Parrots and Where Did They Come From? The Evolutionary History of the Parrots CONTENTS The Marvelous Diversity of Parrots 3 Other Major Groups of Parrots 16 Reconstructing Evolutionary History 5 Box 1. Ancient DNA Reveals the Evolutionary Relationships of the Fossils, Bones, and Genes 5 Carolina Parakeet 19 The Evolution of Parrots 8 How and When the Parrots Diversified 25 Parrots’ Ancestors and Closest Some Parrot Enigmas 29 Relatives 8 What Is a Budgerigar? 29 The Most Primitive Parrot 13 How Have Different Body Shapes Evolved in The Most Basal Clade of Parrots 15 the Parrots? 32 THE MARVELOUS DIVERSITY OF PARROTS The parrots are one of the most marvelously diverse groups of birds in the world. They daz- zle the beholder with every color in the rainbow (figure 3). They range in size from tiny pygmy parrots weighing just over 10 grams to giant macaws weighing over a kilogram. They consume a wide variety of foods, including fruit, seeds, nectar, insects, and in a few cases, flesh. They produce large repertoires of sounds, ranging from grating squawks to cheery whistles to, more rarely, long melodious songs. They inhabit a broad array of habitats, from lowland tropical rainforest to high-altitude tundra to desert scrubland to urban jungle. They range over every continent but Antarctica, and inhabit some of the most far-flung islands on the planet. They include some of the most endangered species on Earth and some of the most rapidly expanding and aggressive invaders of human-altered landscapes. Increasingly, research into the lives of wild parrots is revealing that they exhibit a corresponding variety of mating systems, communication signals, social organizations, mental capacities, and life spans.
    [Show full text]
  • Science, Sex and the Kakapo William J
    news and views Conservation biology Science, sex and the kakapo William J. Sutherland Sex-allocation theory predicts how the sex ratio of offspring should vary with the mother’s physical condition. Applying this theory has helped in 100 YEARS AGO retrieving a charismatic parrot from the edge of extinction. I have frequently observed with interest the erect attitude assumed by the small he kakapo, a nocturnal, flightless parrot islands, including Codfish Island, off the Agamid lizard Otocryptis bivittata, Wiegm., found in New Zealand, is an endan- coast of Stewart Island. A world population when running rapidly, and have long Tgered species, its rarity and eccentricity of 62 birds in 2001, with only 21 adult suspected that the short front legs were making it a high-profile test for conserva- females, created an urgent need for more not used at such times. But the rapidity with tionists. At a meeting last month*, Mick females, yet only six female fledglings had which the animal runs, and the nature of the Clout (Univ. Auckland) reported a scientific been produced since 1982. ground which it usually frequents, have success story in reducing the bird’s risk of In most years, kakapo feed mainly on prevented very close observation. I have, extinction. Providing extra food to improve foliage and other poor-quality foods that are however, recently fully satisfied myself that fledging success seems to have inadvertently insufficient to allow breeding. Egg-laying its action is truly bipedal… On several resulted in breeding females producing an is restricted to those years in which certain occasions one of them has crossed a smooth excess of male young, as predicted by evolu- trees — podocarps — undergo mass fruit- sanded road immediately in front of me.
    [Show full text]