Kakapo : Critically Endangered
A team of researchers from Justus Liebig University Giessen (Germany), New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, Kakapo Recovery, and the University of Otago have successfully implemented artificial insemination (AI) to help breed the critically endangered Kākāpō.
- The Kakapo is the largest flightless parrot in the world, native to New Zealand.
- It is nocturnal, herbivorous, and the only lek-breeding parrot species, meaning males gather to perform mating displays at specific sites.
- It is named for its owl-like face, with moss-green plumage mottled with yellow and black, grey bill, and grey legs with pale soles.
- The Kakapo reproduces infrequently, only breeding in years when certain native fruits, such as rimu berries, are abundant.
- Lek-breeding behaviour includes the digging of bowl-shaped depressions in the ground, which help amplify mating calls across long distances.
- The species faces multiple threats:
- Predation by invasive mammals (rats, stoats, weasels) introduced by European settlers.
- Infertility issues and high embryo mortality have severely restricted population growth.
- Susceptibility to diseases such as aspergillosis, a dangerous fungal infection.
- Due to these pressures, the Kakapo is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
