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Kākāpō Recovery EDUCATION RESOURCE

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Kākāpō Recovery EDUCATION RESOURCE Kākāpō Recovery EDUCATION RESOURCE A national partner of the Kākāpō Recovery Programme Cover photo: Alastair Morrison. This page: Mike Bodie. Published by: Department of Conservation Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland Office Private Bag 68908 Newton Auckland 1145 June 2018 ISBN 978-1-98-851424-6 (online) R111265 A national partner of the Kākāpō Recovery Programme CONTENTS Introduction 3 What is a kākāpō? 5 Kākāpō habitat 6 Kākāpō superpowers! ‘Special features’/adaptations 9 The kākāpō life cycle 11 Threats to kākāpō – introduced predators 14 How people are helping kākāpō 14 Kākāpō population 17 Let’s help kākāpō! 19 Young kākāpō. Photo: Dianne Mason KĀKĀPŌ RECOVERY EDUCATION RESOURCE INTRODUCTION Why are birds important? Birds are an important part of our ecosystems and communities. They rely on trees, plants and other animals for food, shelter and their basic needs. An incredible range of birds is found in New Zealand: from large, flightless, ground-dwelling birds like the kākāpō and kiwi, to tiny, delicate songbirds like the grey warbler/ riroriro. Both endemic and native birds are an important part of balanced, healthy ecosystems. They pollinate plants and disperse their seeds, spread nutrients, and keep populations of insects and other living things stable. In Te Ao Māori, endemic and native birds enhance the mauri (life force/vitality) of an area and are part of whakapapa links (connections and ancestry). For more information, classroom activities and outdoor investigations about birds that can be found in your school grounds, backyard and local park or reserve, check out the ‘Experiencing birds in your green space’ resource – www.doc.govt.nz/education-experiencingbirds. Why teach/learn about kākāpō? The kākāpō is one of our unique birds, and a precious taonga (treasure), only found in New Zealand. It is not closely related to any other parrot, and in fact has biological features not shared with any other species. It is one of our most vulnerable bird species with fewer than 160 known surviving birds. Without help, the kākāpō would most likely be extinct within our lifetime. Countless people from around the world, including hundreds of hard-working volunteers, give their time and energy to save the kākāpō from extinction. The more people and communities who know about kākāpō and are empowered to help them, the more likely the kākāpō will survive, and for its population to increase. HOW TO USE THIS RESOURCE The information in this resource and accompanying activities are intended to support further research on kākāpō, based on students’ interests and inquiry learning focus. Information sheets introduce students to: • Kākāpō ecology: where they live, what they eat, their adaptations, and how they stay alive • Kākāpō challenges: kākāpō threats and how people contribute to these • Kākāpō conservation: the role of people in protecting kākāpō. 3 KĀKĀPŌ RECOVERY EDUCATION RESOURCE Curriculum links Achievement objectives Learning outcomes (Levels 1–4) Students are learning to: Science Mathematics Build knowledge and understanding of Living World: Ecology Statistical Investigation: Conduct kākāpō Recognise that living things are suited investigations using the statistical Raise awareness of the current situation to their particular habitats enquiry cycle: gathering, sorting, for kākāpō and displaying multivariate category Living World: Life processes and whole-number data and simple Understand how people are involved in Recognise that living things are suited time-series data to answer questions; kākāpō recovery to their particular habitats identifying patterns and trends in Contribute to a positive future for context within and between data sets Nature of Science: Investigating in kākāpō. science Ask questions, find evidence, Science capabilities Gather and explore simple models and carry interpret data, Use evidence, Interpret out investigations to develop simple representations, Engage with science explanations Social Sciences .Minor curriculum links Understand how people make decisions about access to and use of resources English: Reading and Viewing Understand how formal and informal groups make decisions that influence communities Kākāpō in nest with chick. Photo: Don Merton KĀKĀPŌ RECOVERY EDUCATION RESOURCE 4 WHAT IS A KĀKĀPŌ? The kākāpō is a large, flightless,nocturnal parrot with mottled and barred moss-green feathers. Kākāpō is an endemic bird – it lives only in New Zealand. ‘Kākāpō’ (pronounced ‘car-car-paw’) is the Te Reo Māori word for ‘night parrot’. For information and activities about the difference betweenendemic , native and introduced animals see: Endemic, native or introduced? – Science Learning Hub. • Kākāpō are the heaviest parrots in the world. Males can weigh over 2 kg. They can store large amounts of energy as body fat – a unique trait among land birds. • Kākāpō are possibly the oldest living bird species in the world. They may have a life expectancy of 90 years! • They are herbivores and eat a variety of foods such as roots, leaves and fruit. • Kākāpō have evolved to freeze (keep absolutely still, hoping to blend into the background) when disturbed or threatened, to hide from predators. • Not all kākāpō behave the same way. Department of Conservation (DOC) staff and volunteers get to know some birds well, and find that each has its own personality. Some are friendly, others are grumpy, and several are big eaters! • All known kākāpō have names and are like one, big extended family – see www.doc.govt.nz/nature/ native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/kakapo/key-kakapo. For more interesting facts and photos, visit www.doc.govt.nz/kakapo. ACTIVITY 1: KĀKĀPŌ ARE PRECIOUS TAONGA Learning intentions Success criteria Begin to identify what makes kākāpō List some reasons why kākāpō are unique birds. special and worth protecting. Begin to ask questions about kākāpō. Ask appropriate questions about kākāpō. Using the information above, students could brainstorm reasons why kākāpō are special and worth protecting. Reflecting on knowledge Share ideas about what students would like to find out next about kākāpō. Use students’ questions as a basis for starting a learning inquiry. 5 KĀKĀPŌ RECOVERY EDUCATION RESOURCE KĀKĀPŌ HABITAT A habitat is a place where a plant or animal normally lives. Where do kākāpō live? Kākāpō used to live throughout New Zealand: near the tops of mountains, in forests and in tussock grasslands. We know this because fossil remains have been found, along with discoveries in Māori midden (kitchen- waste pile) sites. But now, due to habitat destruction and animal pests, kākāpō are found only on three offshore islands: Codfish Island/Whenua Hou, Little Barrier Island/Te Hauturu-o-Toi and Anchor Island/Pukenui – protected areas of natural, dense forest and bush, free from animal pests (cats, stoats, rats, ferrets, dogs). If there are any kākāpō left on mainland New Zealand – which is unlikely – they will be in the remotest corners of the wilderness, in places like Fiordland National Park. Until Predator Free New Zealand is achieved, kākāpō need islands like these, free of predators, to survive. An old kākāpō habitat: Scollays Flat, Stewart Island/Rakiura. Photo: Greg Lind KĀKĀPŌ RECOVERY EDUCATION RESOURCE 6 Kākāpō habitat needs: Kākāpō mum feeding her chick in their nest. Photo: Don Merton Food for breeding Forested habitat – provided by a ‘masting’ – free from animal pests (mass-fruiting) tree species (cats, stoats, rats, ferrets, that kākāpō breed in response dogs). to. The best-known species is rimu, but other podocarps (eg kahikatea and kauri) and beech trees also provide this. Safe nesting sites – usually hollow logs, trees and rock crevices. Kākāpō need . Sirocco the kākāpō munching on mānuka. Photo: Chris Birmingham A good food supply High ground – male Lots of space – kākāpō – kākāpō prefer areas with kākāpō require high points have large territories (up to a wide range of vegetation (ridges and peaks) from 50 ha); birds can walk up to types – eg around slips and which their 'boom' calls can 5 km a night. forest edges. be heard at long distances. Kākāpō bowl, Anchor Island. Photo: DOC 7 KĀKĀPŌ RECOVERY EDUCATION RESOURCE ACTIVITY 2: WHAT IS SUITABLE HABITAT FOR KĀKĀPŌ? Learning intentions Success criteria Identify habitat suitable for kākāpō, List requirements of kākāpō habitat. where they will meet their needs. Discuss how changes to their habitat Explain how changes to their affect kākāpō. environment affect kākāpō. View the following videos from the Kākāpō LEARNZ field trip (Term 3, 2009) on Whenua Hou, and ask students to look out for what they notice about kākāpō habitat. 1. Gulliver’s Bowl – hike up the track to Observation Rock and enjoy the view. Discover why this is the perfect spot for a male kākāpō bowl. • What islands can be seen from here on a clear day? • Why is this a good spot for a male kākāpō to boom from? • Why does a kākāpō boom? 2. Hoki’s nest – see where Hoki (a female kākāpō) has her nest, and find out how DOC staff monitor nest sites. • Why does the nest have two entrances? • What is monitored at a nest site? • Why do kākāpō leave the nest? 3. Paradise for kākāpō – discover why Whenua Hou is the perfect place for a kākāpō to live and what food is on offer. • Where do kākāpō go during the winter? • What do kākāpō eat? • Why are feed stations set up for the kākāpō? 4. Pest-free Whenua Hou – discover how the island was made into a safe place for kākāpō to live. • How long did it take to eradicate pests? • How many possums were there? • What bird had to be taken to another island? Reflecting on knowledge Think-Pair-Share – discuss ideas about where kākāpō live and why they live in those habitats. Extending learning Explore the history of your area and find out if kākāpō ever lived in your neighbourhood. What changes to the land over time have made it a suitable or unsuitable habitat for kākāpō, native birds and other animals? KĀKĀPŌ RECOVERY EDUCATION RESOURCE 8 KĀKĀPŌ SUPERPOWERS! ‘SPECIAL FEATURES’/ADAPTATIONS Animals or plants evolve 'special features’ to help them cope with the conditions of their particular habitat – on land, in rivers and at sea.
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