Abstract
So often the debates erupt in aviculture surrounding the topic of breeding versus not breeding. Different factions support breeding activities while others are vehemently opposed. Sound reasons may be put forth on both sides, but recently I was faced with a superior argument on the breeding side. In some cases, species need the intervention of conservation experts in order to survive. The art of aviculture isn't only about breeding birds for the pet trade or producing as many birds as possible. Sometimes it is about hand-feeding techniques or the best methods of weaning. The knowledge of those techniques lies with individuals who work breeding birds and supporting their conservation and diversity.
Many people are now familiar with the plight of the Kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) after recent You Tube postings of a male Kakapo attempting to mate with a filmmaker, but fewer know the story of the great flightless parrot. The conservation efforts aimed at the Kakapo began many years ago in Fiordland, New Zealand when Richard Henry moved hundreds ofKakapo from Stewart Island to Resolution Island. This capture and move was in response to an increase in predation of the Kakapo by non-native mammals such as the stoat and other feral cats. This was successful for a while, but eventually the invasive mam-
mals arrived at Resolution Island and the population of relocated Kakapo was decimated. Many years later the remaining birds were relocated and now the total population of Kakapo in the world is 131 individuals living on predator free Codfish Island. There have been three plans put forth since the early attempts by Richard Henry to help create a successful population of Kakapo in the wild. The most current plan includes establishing one population requiring no management and two others that would need to
be managed into the future. The mission statement of the Kakapo Recovery Plan includes a statement that the plan hopes "to restore the mauri (life force) ofKakapo"
When talking about the Kakapo, superlatives like "largest" and "only" get used quite a bit. The Kakapo is the heaviest parrot in the world weigh-
ing in at 2000gm normally and up to 4000gm during breeding season. In addition they have the lowest metabolic rate of any bird. They are the only flightless parrot species, and Kakapos are also nocturnal.
The breeding habits of the Kakapo also make them distinctly different. Their breeding rituals are known as lek-breeding. This term refers to the competition amongst males for breeding females. They don't breed each year if the supply of rimu fruit which the females feed the chicks isn't abundant enough. Males build a bowl in the earth on ridges in the mountainous terrain
on the island where they sit for two to three months, and try to lure a female
to the site. The females find the males through a series of vocalizations called booms and chings. In a single night
a male Kakapo can boom one thousand times! The booms are a low sound that can be heard for up to 5 km in the mountains. They also build a number of trails going to the bowl, a habit which lends itself to the term track and bowl system of breeding. When successful mating has occurred, the females can lay clutches of one to four eggs which are incubated for roughly 30 days. Once the chicks have hatched, the fem ales do all the foraging and the males have little or nothing to do with the chicks.
On a speaking trip in New Zealand and Australia this past June, I was lucky to be part of a planned meet-
ing with members of the New Zealand Department of Conservation to discuss the Kakapo Recovery Project. Barbara Heidenreich, animal trainer, and I traveled to Nelson on New Zealand's south island with increasing excitement as we watched the beautiful scenery pass by. Our hopes were that we would speak with Ron Moorhouse who works on the project to strategize ways to spread the word about the Kakapo and support the work of the DOC. To our surprise we were presented with a once in a lifetime opportunity.