Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II

It’s the summer solstice and we are waiting for kākāpō breeding to begin. Alison Ballance chats with island ranger Maddy Whittaker, who reports that on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island all the male kākāpō are in full voice, booming all night to attract the females, who haven’t shown any interest yet. The action hasn’t yet ramped up on Anchor Island. Alison also meets three key people from the Kākāpō Team, and hears about their first-ever kākāpō encounters.Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to [email protected] more:Follow the Kākāpō Files podcast to keep up to date.Listen to the Voice of the Kākāpō series for a recap of the 2019 breeding season. Also listen to the episodes covering the interim 2022 breeding season, and about how a few male kākāpō have fared in the North Island, in the fenced Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari.For more New Zealand science and nature find and follow the Our Changing World podcast, and subscribe to the show’s monthly newsletter.Guests:Maddy Whittaker, kākāpō rangerDaryl Eason, Technical Advisor, Kākāpō Recovery ProgrammeDeidre Vercoe, Operations Manager, Kākāpō Recovery ProgrammeAndrew Digby, Science Advisor, Kākāpō Recovery ProgrammeKākāpō Files is made in collaboration with the Department of Conservation’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The Kākāpō Files returns for a second season, to follow everyone’s favourite parrot through what is predicted to be the biggest breeding season on record. In episode 1, host Alison Ballance and Our Changing World’s Claire Concannon chat about what exactly is a kākāpō, discuss the conservation history of this endangered bird through the life story of two kākāpō, and discover just how big this breeding season might be.Send any Kākāpō Files questions and comments to [email protected] this episode:00:00 - What is a kākāpō and how rare are they? 06:32 - Kākāpō names, from Zephyr to Acheron, and a brief conservation history14:29 - Rimu masting and the 2026 breeding season22:25 - Kākāpō trivia24:12 - Closing creditsLearn more:Follow the Kākāpō Files podcast to keep up to date.Want to start the new series prepared with all the backstory? Listen to the Voice of the Kākāpō series for a recap of the 2019 breeding season. Then listen to the episodes covering the interim 2022 breeding season, and about how a few male kākāpō have fared in the North Island, in the fenced Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari.For more New Zealand science and nature find and follow the Our Changing World podcast, and subscribe to the show’s monthly newsletter.Guests:Claire Concannon, Our Changing WorldReferences:“Kākāpō: Rescued from the Brink of Extinction” by Alison Ballance (published 2018)Kākāpō Files is made in collaboration with the Department of Conservation’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In 2019 Alison Ballance followed the bumpy, rollercoaster ride that was the kākāpō breeding season. Now she returns, six years on, to do it all over again. We'll meet familiar characters, of both the human and bird kind, as well as new faces. Will the chicks born in 2019 start to breed? How will the team fare with a more hands-off approach? Will the deadly aspergillosis that surfaced in 2019 return? And with the rimu mast predicted to be big, could this be the most successful breeding season yet? First episode drops 16th December. Don't miss it. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In Antarctica in a Warming World researchers talk about the present impacts of climate change on the icy continent, and what they mean for our future. Watch now on the RNZ website - rnz.co.nz/videoVisit rnz.co.nz/video to watchGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Tiny plants that live on the underside of sea ice form an upside-down garden that feeds krill and is the base of the Antarctic food web.To see images and read more about this episode, visit the RNZ website here: Voices from Antarctica: Under the iceGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details