More than 100,000 people have tuned in to watch a live stream of one of the world's rarest parrots, the kākāpō, as it cares for its chicks on a remote New Zealand island. The camera, set up by the Department of Conservation, shows a female named Rakiura sleeping, tidying her nest and fending off intruders, drawing viewers from the UK, Finland, Germany and across New Zealand.
The kākāpō is the world's fattest parrot and the only nocturnal and flightless parrot. Once abundant, their population plummeted due to introduced predators like cats and stoats, nearly reaching extinction by the 1900s. A recovery programme has rebuilt numbers from 51 to 236 birds, including 83 breeding-age females.
This breeding season is expected to be a record, with 78 nests, 247 eggs laid and 57 chicks hatched so far. The breeding is triggered by the mass fruiting of rimu tree berries, which provide food for the birds. Conservationists hope the bountiful harvest will lead to more eggs and chicks.
Dr Andrew Digby, the department's science adviser for kākāpō, said: 'It will be the biggest kākāpō breeding season we’ve had on record.' The team is moving from individual recovery to population recovery, with less intensive intervention this year, though nests are still monitored and eggs moved between mothers to maximise survival chances.
Viewers have expressed wonder and gratitude in the live stream's chat forum. One wrote: 'This site is my lovely distraction from all the terrible things happening in the world around us.' Another said: 'Thank you for your commitment and passion for this extraordinary bird: fighting for the beautiful and wonderful things on this planet is never pointless.'
