By PHILIP ENGLISH
Kakapo in the Department of Conservation recovery programme are not expected to breed this year.
Last year 24 chicks survived, increasing the population to 86.
Don Merton, a spokesman for the recovery programme, said yesterday that there was no indication this year of any breeding.
The successful season last year brought
the kakapo back from the brink of extinction.
He said four juvenile chicks that hatched about this time last year were still with their mothers.
"They can only breed when there is a super-duper, bumper food source ... that is not occurring this year."
The kakapo minders knew there would be some fruiting this year but they were not sure whether the fruiting threshold for breeding would be reached. Just in case, nine potential breeding females without young were isolated on an island in Fiordland but there was not enough fruit.
Mr Merton said all 86 birds were healthy.
The recovery of the kakapo is centred on two islands, one off Stewart Island and the other in Fiordland. "The kakapo do not breed very often," Mr Merton said.
"They are the slowest reproducing of all birds. They just have this strategy of living for a long time and reproducing at odd times. They don't need to pump out a lot of chicks like other birds."
Herald feature: Environment
