Kākāpō population reaches new milestone

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Date:  01 September 2026

Ninety chicks from the 2026 breeding season were officially added to the population today (1 September), after the youngest surviving chick reached 150 days of age, the milestone at which young kākāpō have fledged and are considered independent enough to join the official tally.

Department of Conservation Kākāpō Recovery Operations Manager Deidre Vercoe says the population increase reflects another exceptional breeding season for the species.

“We had a four-year gap between breeding seasons, so it’s fantastic to finally see the population increase after all that time. It’s also a significant milestone for the species, as the last time the population is thought to have exceeded 300 birds may have been as long as 75 years ago.”

DOC Kākāpō Recovery Programme began in 1995 with a population of just 51 birds, including only 20 females. Since then, the species has been through 13 breeding seasons, with recovery efforts working to overcome challenges associated with low genetic diversity, including infertility and poor hatching success.

“There is still a long road of recovery ahead, but ninety chicks in a single season is a record. In the early years of recovery, it took 16 years to produce that many chicks.”

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu representative on the Kākāpō Recovery Group Tāne Davis says the measure of success isn’t just in the numbers.

“This season, the programme trialled several approaches aimed at reducing intensive management, such as fewer egg and chick checks through careful monitoring of remote nest technology data, and reducing supplementary feeding,” Tāne says.

“Our focus is increasingly on determining where intensive intervention is still needed and where we can start to return to more natural levels of kākāpō breeding outcomes.”

The successful season also highlights the importance of creating more predator-free habitat for the species, and he has his sights set on a predator free Rakiura.

“All but one of the founders of the modern population came from Rakiura, so seeing their ancestral home become safe for them to one day return remains a key aspiration.”

For many of this year’s chicks, the next milestone will be receiving a name on the anniversary of their hatch days in February and March next year. However, a small number of 2026 chicks will remain unnamed. The first unnamed kākāpō in modern recovery history will signify the gradual shift towards a more natural future for the species as it continues its recovery journey.

Deidre Vercoe says the success of the season would not have been possible without the support of partners, volunteers and supporters naturing from around the world.

“Kākāpō Recovery is a team effort. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who contributes their time, expertise and support to helping secure the future of this taonga.”

Kākāpō Recovery’s National Partner, Meridian Energy, supports the programme through financial contribution, infrastructure development, engineering expertise and volunteering.

Meridian Chief Executive Mike Roan says they’re proud to partner with DOC on the Kākāpō Recovery Programme.

“Since Meridian first partnered with Kākāpō Recovery in 2016, the population has grown by more than 200 kākāpō. We’re proud of the progress made over the past 10 years and excited to be part of the programme’s evolution as it works towards a future where kākāpō can thrive in more places across Aotearoa.”

Early predictions suggest there may not be such a long wait between breeding seasons, with the next season potentially occurring in 2028, Deidre says.

“Our modelling indicates there may be only a two-year gap between breeding seasons this time round. So, while we’ll take a moment to stop and reflect on this remarkable year, we’re already looking ahead to 2028 and preparing for what could come next.”

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Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/01/kakapo-population-reaches-new-milestone/