Show Notes
Paternity testing has revealed who the top kākāpō dads are, as well as the success of the artificial insemination programme, in episode 22 of the Kākāpō Files. Artificial insemination (AI) of kākāpō has succeeded for the first time in a decade, and the Kākāpō Recovery Team at the Department of Conservation is very happy with the results. Paternity testing has revealed that five eggs were successfully fertilised with inseminated sperm from three males, although two eggs died as early embryos and one chick died at just a few days old. There are two surviving AI chicks, one of which is fathered by Sinbad, a male containing rare Fiordland genes which contribute important genetic diversity to a threatened species that has low genetic diversity overall. Paternity testing has also revealed that two young males are star performers in what has been a record-breaking breeding season: Komaru and Horton have each fathered ten chicks. Seven months after the largest kākāpō breeding season on record got off to a racing start, we finally have an answer to an outstanding question: who some of the kākāpō dads are. Many female kākāpō mate with two and even three males, and in these cases genetic testing has to be used to determine who has fathered the chicks. It is also necessary to use genetic testing to determine fatherhood in the case of females who were inseminated with donor sperm after they had mated naturally. The paternity testing is carried out by Agresearch using a process called genotyping by sequencing, drawing on genetic markers developed for kākāpō by Professor Bruce Robertson at the University of Otago. Artificial insemination results The kākāpō team, with help from German experts from the University of Giesen, carried out 15 artificial inseminations on 13 different females, and succeeded with three females. Nora was successfully inseminated with Sinbad's sperm and two of her three fertile eggs were fathered by him (her third egg was fathered by Tutuko in a natural mating). Nora-1-B unfortunately died a few days after hatching. Nora 3-B is still alive but he is currently being treated for an aspergillosis infection. Cyndy was successfully fertilised with sperm from founder male Merv, but the two fertile eggs died when they were about eight days old. Margaret-Maree has an AI male chick fathered by Stumpy. More interesting AI results As well as revealing who the father is in cases of multiple matings, paternity testing has revealed some unusual results. Tumeke mated with both Te Atapo and Boss, and for the first time ever in a natural clutch the chicks have mixed parentage: one chick was fathered by Boss and three by Te Atapo… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
More from Kākāpō Files II
The biggest kākāpō season on record has come to an end, with a bumper number of chicks reaching the milestone of 150 days old. The 90 chicks have boosted the kākāpō population from 235 birds to 325, an increase of more than a third. The 2026 season saw 48 kākāpō mums produce living chicks, fathered by 32 dads. The ‘top dad’ was 10-year Tūterangi, breeding for the first time, who fathered 10 chicks with six females. Ten chicks were fathered with the help of artificial insemination. DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme reports that not all of this year’s chicks will be named, and that they expect the next breeding season to be in two years’ time. Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to [email protected]. In this episode: 00:00 – Introduction 01:42 – Deidre Vercoe announces 90 chicks and population of 325 kākāpō 04:45 – Naming kākāpō 06:00 – Daryl Eason on the identity of the dads 10:27 – 10 chicks fathered through artificial insemination 15:59 – Andrew Digby on stepping back from intensive management 18:20 – next breeding season in 2028 24:43 – Deidre Vercoe on predator-free habitats 28:58 - Closing credits… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
The oldest chick of the 2026 kākāpō breeding season, Tiwhiri-A1 has reached 150 days old and can be officially counted. This milestone increases the kākāpō population by one bird to 236, the first time it has risen in 4 years. The first chicks to reach independence are roosting away from their mums and feeding themselves, and two chicks have dropped their transmitters and are now “off-grid”. With the threat of deadly H5N1 bird flu looming, vet Lydia Uddstrom explains that about a quarter of the most genetically valuable kākāpō will be vaccinated against bird flu, especially on Whenua Hou, which has a large population of seabirds. Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to [email protected]. In this episode: 00:00 – Introduction 02:30 – Island news with ranger Louise Porter 13:45 – Highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu 17:28 - Vet Lydia Uddstrom on bird flu vaccinations 26:10 - How do kākāpō contract aspergillosis 27:37 - Are any kākāpō on display 28:20 - Frozen sperm 29:17 - How kākāpō use space 37:06 - Are kākāpō cuddly 38:00 - Closing credits… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Six months after this record-breaking kākāpō breeding season began, all 91 living chicks have fledged and left the nest. The chicks remain with their kākāpō mums and are still being fed by them, as well as eating a range of plant material, and as cold wet midwinter weather sets in the chicks are learning to find dry roost sites. The Kākāpō Team’s Daryl Eason and Andrew Digby answer listener questions, including why did Kākāpō cam star Rakiura spend so much time in the nest digging, what can you learn from a piece of egg shell, and could old museum specimens be a source of lost kākāpō genes? Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to [email protected] In this episode: 02:06 – Island news with ranger Daniella Whitaker 06:21 – Update on Kākāpō Cam star Rakiura 11:43 – Sick kākāpō 15:19 - Are kākāpō smart? 18:19 - Previous nest cams 20:05 - Why did Rakiura dig so much in her nest? 24:00 - Do kākāpō compete with other species? 25:30 - Kākāpō on Coal Island and at Sanctuary Mountain Mangatautari 30:57 - Museum specimens and lost genes Learn more: Follow the Kākāpō Files podcast to keep up to date Listen to the Voice of the Kākāpō series for a recap of the 2019 breeding season. Also 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: Kākāpō ranger, Daniella Whitaker, Kākāpō Recovery Programme Kākāpō technical advisor, Daryl Eason, Kākāpō Recovery Programme Kākāpō science advisor, Andrew Digby References: 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
Half of the chicks from this record-breaking kākāpō breeding season have fledged and left their nests for good, but are still being fed by their mums. The tally of living chicks has dropped to 92 with the death of a chick from Te Kākahu/Chalky Island. Veterinary advisor Lydia Uddstrom reports that a 4-year-old female is being treated for cloacitis, a mysterious infection with no known cause that has infected a number of birds in the past few years. Kākāpō rangers give potted histories and breeding season updates for nine birds that are part of a symbolic adoption programme. Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to [email protected]. In this episode: 00:00 – Introduction 01:00 – Vet Lydia Uddstrom with island news 06:24 - Adult female Tōrua treated for cloacitis 11:20 - Adoption birds 13:22 - JEM breeding season update 15:57 - Marama breeding season update 18:14 - Waikawa breeding season update 21:28 - Nora breeding season update 24:24 - Bluster Murphy breeding season update 27:05 - Sinbad breeding season update 29:55 - Kuia breeding season update 32:48 - Rahotu breeding season update 35:05 - Rangi rediscovered 37:50 - Closing credits Learn more: Follow the Kākāpō Files podcast to keep up to date Listen to the Voice of the Kākāpō series for a recap of the 2019 breeding season Also 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: Kākāpō veterinary advisor, Lydia Uddstrom, Kākāpō Recovery Programme Kākāpō ranger, Jess Wagner, Kākāpō Recovery Programme Kākāpō ranger, Sarah Little Kākāpō ranger, Theo Thompson References:… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
The tally of confirmed living kākāpō chicks goes down with two further deaths, but gets a welcome boost with the confirmation of a living chick in a previously inaccessible nest. This brings the number of living chicks to 93, ranging in weight from 770 grams to nearly 2.5 kilograms. On all three kākāpō breeding islands, the oldest kākāpō chicks are fledging and leaving their nests. They are still accompanied and fed by their mothers, but find their own shelter. Before chicks leave the nest for good, kākāpō rangers visit to insert microchips as a permanent identification, and to attach transmitters that enable the Kākāpō Team to locate the chicks and monitor their activity levels remotely. Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to [email protected]. In this episode: 00:00 – Introduction 02:34 – Big chick Huhū-A1 using a special ramp to leave the nest 05:23 – Ranger Petrus with the latest island news 06:44 - A chick is finally confirmed in Rimu’s cliff-top nest 10:09 - Two more of Waa’s chicks die so latest living chick tally is 93 11:46 - Update on Pearl-B3 and sick chicks 13:17 - Chick transmitters 19:55 - Tanē Davis on Ngāi Tahu’s relationship with kākāpō 27:35 - Vet Lydia Uddstrom and Vori’s story 32:34 - Closing credits… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details