PROMOTING EXCELLENCE IN PARROT CONSERVATION AVICULTURE AND WELFARE World Parrot Trust in action Vol. 11 No.2 May 1999 Kakapo Update Black-cheeked Lovebirds Cockatoos in Peril Coxen’s Fig Parrot psittacine (sit’˚a sîn) belonging or allied to the parrots; parrot-like GOOD NEWS ABOUT PARROTS! Kakapo Update Editor Rosemary Low, Fe b r ua r y 1999 P.O. Box 100, by DON MERTON, National Kakapo T eam Mansfield, Notts., United Kingdom Fifty five Kakapo ar e known to survive - 21 females: 34 males. These ar e currently NG20 9NZ located on six of f-shore islands. Apart from nine birds raised on the islands, all (46) have been r elocated since 1975 to islands to protect them from introduced predator y mammals. No natural population is known to r emain. CONTENTS Recent developments within the Kakapo r ecovery programme include implementation of a new supplementary feeding regime based on a two-yearly pulse rather than an annual Kakapo Update ............2-3 one; a decision to r emove Kakapo from Little Barrier Island; and the transfer of all bir ds Sense of Wonder ............4 from Whenua Hou/Codfish Island to Pearl Island for the duration of a rat eradication operation on Codfish. During 1998, 41 of the 55 kakapo wer e in fact transfer red between Cockatoo Poisoning ......5 islands (see distribution table below). Some of the bir ds temporarily held on Pearl Island ar e curr ently breeding - this is the thir d successive season during which br eeding has Venezuela plan for occurred. Parr ots ............................5 One Kakapo is known to have (LBI). Over the last 16 years it early 1999. No females ar e Yellow-eared Parrot: nested during the 1998 season - has been shown that female known to remain. However, two Critical Discovery........6-7 the first to have bred on Maud Kakapo on Little Barrier must be females and a male, not seen Island. Three eggs were laid and intensively managed in order for since their transmitters failed (2) Black-cheeked Lovebirds three chicks, including one them to breed successfully. or were removed (1) between 9 in the Wild ................8-10 female, raised. The latter is the However, Little Barrier is large and 16 years ago may still only parent-raised female, and (3,000ha) and extremely rugged, sur vive. No sign of the missing Cockatoos In Peril ..11-13 one of just two females raised and it has proved impractical to male (“Snark”) was found during since the 1981 breeding season. manage Kakapo there an intensive sear ch of the LBI The Elusive Coxen’s Fig intensively. Furthermore, with arena in late Januar y 1999 when Parrot ......................14-15 One adult death is known to rat eradication soon to be all known males were active have occurred in 1998. The male Psitta News ..............16-17 attempted on LBI, temporary there. Mating sign found at the “Ken” died in July as a r esult of relocation of kakapo would have summit track and bowl system complications from a World Parrot Tr ust been necessary. (court) in early February transmitter harness injur y that indicates that at least one of the Projects ........................18 occurr ed in mid-1995. This is Three female Kakapo (“Wendy”, “Heather” and “Jean”) were “lost” females may still sur vive. WPT Info Page ..............19 the only known adult death in Arrangements ar e being made the last five years. One other transferred fr om LBI to Maud Island in May/June 1998. for a dog team to search for any Parr ots in the Wild........20 male (“Snark”) has not been seen nest. since 1990 and is believed to During August 1998 one male have died. (“Stumpy”) was transfer red to At least 15 of the original 22 Maud and two males (‘Luke” and Kakapo r eleased on Little Barrier Little Barrier Island “Merty”) were transfer red to in 1982 still survive, giving an Nukuwaiata/lnner Chetwode overall sur vival rate averaging Five males remain on Little 98% per annum. Barrier. Island along with a male (“Jimmy”) fr om Maud. The The Kakapo Management Group fertility/breeding fitness of the Maud Island and Kakapo Scientific and latter three males is in question. Fourteen birds (6 male and 8 Technical Advisory Committee Five males known to remain on female) are on Maud. resolved in March to remove all Little Barrier ar e to be moved to kakapo from Little Barrier Island Codfish and Pearl Islands in Two male and one female young were raised in 1998. “Flossie” The World Par rot Trust does COVER PICTURE and “Richar d Henry”, transfer red not necessarily endorse any views or statements made by Golden-shouldered Parrot Psephotus chrysopterigius from Little Barrier to Maud contributors to PsittaScene. This beautiful parakeet remains one of Australia’s most endangered Island in July 1996 to enhance birds. Two small populations remain in tiny areas of Cape York their breeding pr ospects, mated It will of course consider on the night of 30 January 1998 articles or letters from any Peninsula. In our issue of May 1997 Stephen Garnett and Gabriel contributors on their merits. Crowley describe the threats affecting this species, and the efforts and Flossie laid three eggs to help it survive. This superb picture was kindly supplied by Len between ~4-10 Febr uary. Three All contents © World Parrot Trust Robinson. chicks wer e raised. At 24 days, “Sinbad” (the youngest and 2 ■ PsittaScene Volume 11, No 2, May 1999 smallest chick) was removed from the nest for hand-raising at Stewart Island Burwood Bush. He was r etur ned searches to Maud when three months old, held in a large open-topped pen With the discovery in mid-1997 and trained to use a “cat-door”. of a “new” female on Stewar t He was released to free-range in Island the possibility existed late November - the cat-door that fur ther individuals might providing him with exclusive persist in the vast scr ublands of access to supplementary foods souther n Stewart Island. Two within the pen. His male sibling further sear ches were therefor e (“Gulliver”) left his natal home- mounted in this area (15 July - range in October when ~8 12 August and 26 August - 9 months old. The female (“Kuia”), September 1998), and a possible now 11 months old is still sighting of a Kakapo near the within Flossie’s home-range. northern end of Mason Bay by a deer stalker was checked out. This was the first breeding No kakapo or Kakapo sign was recorded on Maud and indicates found. It has been recommended that Kakapo can adapt to and that one fur ther search be breed ef fectively in an alien carried out - in the Pegasus environment - an exotic pine Creek catchment. This is within plantation on a small (309ha), the species’ former range but heavily modified island. This, has not been thoroughly and the successful transmission This is ‘Hoki’, the famous hand-reared Kakapo. Photo: Gideon Climo checked for some years. of genes from “Richard Henry”, during the winter. Twenty-six January indicate that eight the last known Kakapo fr om the birds (13 females: 13 males) matings have occurred. Two Diet and feeding NZ mainland, into the new were transfer red to Pearl Island, females have since laid: generation and the survival of two males to Anchorage Island, “Susanne” laid two eggs in mid regime all three chicks - including a one male (“Ken”) to Maud Island January, and “Alice” laid three in A new feeding regime simulating female - is cause for real in April, and one female (“Nora”) late Januar y/early February. more closely the sporadic optimism. to Maud in May. Two pulses of Because of the high risk of “masting” cycles of key natural The Pinus radiata plantation anticoagulant bait were predation by weka and rats, foods was intr oduced in June continues to be a favourite broadcast on Codfish by eggs wer e removed soon after 1998. Wher eas birds had feeding location, especially for Southland Conser vancy in laying for artificial incubation - previously been supplementary females - Kakapo feed on pine August. Kakapo are to be two eggs, Alice’s second and fed throughout the year or foliage. returned to Codfish in the thir d, are developing! Never pulsed on a 12-monthly cycle, autumn of 1999. before has laying occur red so the cur rent regime is based on a There has been little activity on soon (~9 months) after two-yearly cycle with foods the Maud arena this season and Pearl Island translocation. being withheld for much of this no booming has been heard. period. Most Maud birds ceased Twenty six Kakapo ar e curr ently Anchorage Island receiving supplementar y foods Nukuwaiata/lnner on Pearl. Six males, suspected of being in June 1998 and will receive no Males on Pearl have developed infertile or of low fertility are food supplementation until the Chetwode Island track and bowl systems and being held here. They will be spring of 1999. Hopefully, a Three males are on Nukuwaiata. since early December all ten placed on Pearl Island once rising plane of nutrition at this adult males have been hear d Codfish Island birds ar e time will stimulate breeding in During August two males (“Luke” booming. Signs found since 3 retur ned to Codfish. the autumn of the year 2000. and “Merty”) were transferred from LBI to Inner Kakapo known to sur vive : Februar y 1999 Chetwode/Nukuwaiata along with one male (“Jimmy”) from Female Male Maud. Fertility of the former two Subadult Adult Subadult Adult Totals is suspect, and Jimmy has a leg injury which may compr omise Fiordland Believed extinct since 1987 his ability to mate successfully.