There are 237 kākāpō alive today. All are wild and there is currently no place where the public can visit or view kākāpō in person.
New Zealand status: Endemic
Conservation status: Threatened – Nationally Critical
Found: Predator-free islands and fenced sanctuaries. About kākāpō habitat.
Threats: Predators, disease, low hatching success
Sound recordings:
Kākāpō male 'booms' (MP3, 2,102K)
02:14 – Adult male 'booming' to attract females.
Kākāpō male 'chings' (MP3, 345K)
00:22 – Adult male 'chinging' to attract females.
Kākāpō male territorial calls (MP3, 2,361K)
02:30 – Adult male giving territorial calls (00:43). Screaming in answer to playback of booming call played through amplifier.
Kākāpō female song (MP3, 1,396K)
01:28 – Adult female.
Species information: Kākāpō on NZ Birds Online
Kākāpō conservation
Have you met our Spokesbird?
Sirocco is New Zealand's official Spokesbird for conservation.
Kākāpō Recovery leads kākāpō conservation efforts today. They face major challenges such as low hatching success and the pressing need for more suitable, predator-free sites. Nevertheless, they've had some triumphant successes using innovative techniques to grow the population.
The history of kākāpō is a story of drama, despair and hope. Before humans arrived, kākāpō were abundant throughout New Zealand. Population numbers dropped swiftly due to hunting, introduced predators and land clearance. Conservation efforts began in 1894, but by the mid-1900s, kākāpō teetered on the edge of extinction.
Today, kākāpō only live on protected offshore islands and in a fenced mainland sanctuary.
While unlikely, the possibility of a few remnant kākāpō surviving undetected in remote areas of New Zealand, like southern Stewart Island/Rakiura or Fiordland, can’t be completely ruled out.
Kākāpō sign or sightings can be reported to kakaporecovery@doc.govt.nz
What's special about kākāpō?
The kākāpō is a large green parrot with a distinctive owl-like face and a waddling gait. They cannot fly, but they climb well.
Kākāpō are:
- nocturnal
- flightless
- the only lek-breeding parrot species in the world
- perhaps the longest-lived bird species in the world, estimated to live between 60 and 90 years old
- the heaviest parrot species in the world – males in peak breeding condition can weigh in at around 4 kg.
Meet some of the stars of the kākāpō population.
Kākāpō are solo hikers with big voices and a tendency to freeze when threatened.
Find out where kākāpō used to live, and where they live today.