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A Record-Breaking Miracle: New Zealand's Rarest Parrot Celebrates Best Breeding Season in History
- Jun 3
- 1 min read
Written by : Athirah Balqis binti Hafizan
Credit : Bryone Ravate, Live Science
SUMMARY OF THE NEWS :
2nd June 2026
New Zealand's critically endangered flightless parrot, the kakapo, has recently achieved a monumental conservation milestone. Once on the absolute brink of extinction in the 1990s with only around fifty individuals left, the species is now experiencing a historic population boom. This incredible turnaround brings immense hope for the survival of these unique, nocturnal birds, showcasing the profound impact of dedicated wildlife recovery programs.
According to representatives from the New Zealand Department of Conservation, this recent breeding season is officially the most successful one recorded since such records began thirty years ago. The department reported that over one hundred chicks have successfully hatched from more than two hundred and fifty eggs. This sudden and massive population surge is an exciting development for conservationists who have been working tirelessly to protect the species.
The secret behind this remarkable success lies in the native rimu tree, which provides the primary food source for the parrots. Kakapo typically only breed every few years, specifically timing their reproduction with the mass fruiting of these conifer trees. An extraordinarily bountiful harvest of rimu berries recently gave the female parrots the perfect nutritional conditions needed to lay eggs and raise an unprecedented number of healthy chicks.
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