Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II

It’s nearly the New Year and we’re counting down to the start of a big kākāpō breeding season. Island ranger Maddy Whittaker tells Alison Ballance that Pearl and Boss are the first kākāpō to mate. Deidre Vercoe, operations manager for the Kākāpō Team, explains that kākāpō mums on Whenua Hou will get wrap-round support, while management on Anchor Island and Te Kakahu/Chalky Island will be more hands-off. Scientist Andrew Digby talks about the role of technology in making this possible, and digs into the kākāpō’s boring gut microbiome. Technical advisor Daryl Eason introduces founder female Margaret-Maree, matriarch of a lineage with five living generations.Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to [email protected] this episode:00:00 – Introduction00:53 – Kākāpō ranger Maddy Whittaker with news that Pearl and Boss on Whenua Hou are the first kākāpō to mate.06:02 – Operations Manager of the Kākāpō Recovery Programme Deidre Vercoe explains that kākāpō mums on Whenua Hou will get wrap-round support, while management on Anchor Island and Te Kakahu / Chalky Island will be more hands-off.10:08 – Science Advisor Andrew Digby talks about the role of technology and the kākāpō’s dull microbiome.13:24 – Technical Advisor Daryl Eason introduces Margaret-Maree, matriarch of a dynasty with five living generations.16:18 – Closing credits…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

It’s the summer solstice and we are waiting for kākāpō breeding to begin. Alison Ballance chats with island ranger Maddy Whittaker, who reports that on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island all the male kākāpō are in full voice, booming all night to attract the females, who haven’t shown any interest yet. The action hasn’t yet ramped up on Anchor Island. Alison also meets three key people from the Kākāpō Team, and hears about their first-ever kākāpō encounters.Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to [email protected] this episode:00:00 – Introduction00:42 – Kākāpō ranger Maddy Whittaker with updates on what the male birds are up to on the islands05:09 – Technical Officer Daryl Eason talks about his first kākāpō encounter and what makes these birds so unique09:41 – Operations Manager of the Kākāpō Recovery Programme Deidre Vercoe remembers her first kākāpō meeting13:44 – Science Advisor Andrew Digby talks about meeting his first kākāpō16:00 – Daryl Eason predicts when the breeding season might begin…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The Kākāpō Files returns for a second season, to follow everyone’s favourite parrot through what is predicted to be the biggest breeding season on record. In episode 1, host Alison Ballance and Our Changing World’s Claire Concannon chat about what exactly is a kākāpō, discuss the conservation history of this endangered bird through the life story of two kākāpō, and discover just how big this breeding season might be.Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to [email protected] this episode:00:00 - What is a kākāpō and how rare are they? 06:32 - Kākāpō names, from Zephyr to Acheron, and a brief conservation history14:29 - Rimu masting and the 2026 breeding season22:25 - Kākāpō trivia24:12 - Closing creditsLearn more:Follow the Kākāpō Files podcast to keep up to date.Want to start the new series prepared with all the backstory? Listen to the Voice of the Kākāpō series for a recap of the 2019 breeding season. Then listen to the episodes covering the interim 2022 breeding season, and about how a few male kākāpō have fared in the North Island, in the fenced Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari.For more New Zealand science and nature find and follow the Our Changing World podcast, and subscribe to the show’s monthly newsletter.Guests:Claire Concannon, Our Changing WorldReferences:“Kākāpō: Rescued from the Brink of Extinction” by Alison Ballance (published 2018)Kākāpō Files is made in collaboration with the Department of Conservation’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In 2019 Alison Ballance followed the bumpy, rollercoaster ride that was the kākāpō breeding season. Now she returns, six years on, to do it all over again. We'll meet familiar characters, of both the human and bird kind, as well as new faces. Will the chicks born in 2019 start to breed? How will the team fare with a more hands-off approach? Will the deadly aspergillosis that surfaced in 2019 return? And with the rimu mast predicted to be big, could this be the most successful breeding season yet? First episode drops 16th December. Don't miss it. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In Antarctica in a Warming World researchers talk about the present impacts of climate change on the icy continent, and what they mean for our future. Watch now on the RNZ website - rnz.co.nz/videoVisit rnz.co.nz/video to watchGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details