Andrew Digby (@digs.bsky.social)

Quick #kakapo “fridge” update, as things are changing fast. May contain errors! #kakapo2026 #birds #parrots

Andrew Digby (@digs.bsky.social)

The first #kakapo chick for four years hatched two days ago (on Valentine’s Day for those who like to anthropomorphise!). Here’s Tiwhiri-A1-2026 in Yasmine’s nest. 📸: Deidre Vercoe. https://www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-releases/2026-media-releases/first-kakapo-chick-in-four-years-hatches-on-valentines-day/ #kakapo2026 #conservation #parrots #birds

First kākāpō chick in four years hatches on Valentine's Day

The first kākāpō chick of the breeding season has hatched on Pukenui Anchor Island.

Andrew Digby (@digs.bsky.social)

The second #kakapo chick of the #kakapo2026 breeding season hatched this morning: Hine Taumai-A1-2026 on Ako's nest on Te Kākahu. We transferred the egg from Anchor two nights ago. This is Ako's first-ever chick, which is just a few hours old in this video. #conservation #birds #parrots

Andrew Digby (@digs.bsky.social)

#kakapo breeding "fridge" update. Good news: 9 chicks hatched, and 123 fertile eggs in total - including all three 4 year old females having fertile clutches! Bad news: a few egg deaths in the last couple of days. Kākāpō breeding seasons are a roller-coaster! #kakapo2026 📸: Lydia Uddstrom

Bumper breeding season boosts Kākāpō population

Kākāpō numbers have increased from 197 to 252 in the 2022 breeding season, and there are now more of the endangered parrots than there have been for almost 50 years.

Andrew Digby (@digs.bsky.social)

The #kakapo chicks are coming thick and fast! We're now up to 10 hatched. Here are Tiwhiri-A1 and Tiwhiri-A2 receiving a health check at Yasmine's nest on Pukenui/Anchor Island. 📸: Lydia Uddstrom #kakapo2026 #conservation #birds #parrots

Andrew Digby (@digs.bsky.social)

Checking on 1 day old #kakapo chick Waa-A3-2026 in Waa's nest on Pukenui/Anchor Island. We check the chicks twice in the first 4 days, and then less frequently as they get older. #kakapo2026 #conservation #parrots

Duncan Jones (aka Merrion) (he/him) (@duncanjonesmerrion.bsky.social)

First we'll do six quick chick checks, based upon each chick's peak sex specs. Then I'll check each chick's tickers ticks, You can check their slick liquids stocks.

Andrew Digby (@digs.bsky.social)

You know that feeling when you're struggling to stay awake? #kakapo chicks Tiwhiri-A3 and Tiwhiri-A4 in Tiwhiri's nest on Pukenui/Anchor Island. Both around two weeks old, and doing well. #kakapo2026 #conservation #parrots

Kākāpō Files II podcast

Following the next breeding season of the world’s favourite parrot.

‘My lovely distraction’: live stream of kākāpō – world’s fattest parrot – and her chicks captivates New Zealand

More than 100,000 people have tuned in to watch a kākāpō – a rare flightless bird – sleeping, tidying her nest and fighting off intruders

Kākāpō Recovery

Kākāpō Recovery. 95,374 likes · 7,043 talking about this. DOC's Kākāpō Recovery Programme combines the efforts of iwi, rangers, volunteers, scientists and supporters to protect the critically...

Andrew Digby (@digs.bsky.social)

Conservation biologist and former astrophysicist. Scientist for threatened birds with the #kakapo and #takahe programmes at the New Zealand Department of Conservation. Avatar: @blackmudpuppy.bsky.social

Bluesky

Andrew Digby (@digs.bsky.social)

The youngest #kakapo alive: Awarua-A3, 17 days old today. Despite appearances, she’s doing well. She won’t be leaving the nest until mid-June. It’s a long breeding season! #kakapo2026 #conservation #birds.

Andrew Digby (@digs.bsky.social)

#kakapo breeding fridge update. With all eggs hatched, the only changes from now will be chicks dying 😕 (And maybe Rimu’s nest). #kakapo2026 #conservation #birds

Andrew Digby (@digs.bsky.social)

#kakapo Esperance with chick Elsie-A2-2026 on Whenua Hou. At a month old the chicks start to get coloured feathers and males will weigh around 1kg - not far off the mother's weight. But she's still less than halfway through raising them in the nest! #kakapo2026 #conservation #birds #wildlife

Species-wide genomics of kākāpō provides tools to accelerate recovery - Nature Ecology & Evolution

The kākāpō is an intensively managed parrot endemic to New Zealand. Using genome sequencing data for all living kākāpō together with long-term phenotypic data, the authors devise an approach to identify genetic associations with fitness traits, which is informing species recovery plans.

Recordings point to second Queensland population of rare night parrot

Ecologists say thousands of hours of audio recordings have detected night parrot calls in south-west Queensland.