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PODCAST

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II

The Kākāpō Files podcast is back with what’s set to be the biggest breeding season of all time for the world’s favourite parrot. Fortnightly episodes from March 2026.

science natural sciences

All Episodes

00:36:25

Kākāpō Files II 15 | Kākāpō Island Diary

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2026/04/20

Alison Ballance spends a week on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, one of three kākāpō breeding islands. She follows rangers from DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme as they go about their daily and nightly nest visits to check on the rapidly growing chicks. All but one of the 23 nests on Whenua Hou have just a single chick, as the rimu fruit has failed to ripen and kākāpō mums are relying on supplementary food to raise their chicks. During the week, the chick Queenie-A3 is found dead, and there is news from

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00:33:18

Kākāpō Files II 14 | Biggest Kākāpō Breeding Season

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2026/04/02

DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme says that the 2026 kākāpō breeding season is officially the biggest on record, and that all chicks have now hatched. At least 256 eggs were laid in 80 nests, of which at least 106 hatched. There are currently 99 chicks alive, three of which are being treated at the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital for various health problems. The oldest chick, Tīwhiri-A1-2026, is 46-days old and weighs 1.8 kg, while the youngest chick, Awarua-A3-2026, weighs 26 grams at 2-days old

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00:30:22

Kākāpō Files II 13 | Kākāpō Birth Notices

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2026/03/23

DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme is thrilled to announce the births of 101 kākāpō chicks, with a few more fertile eggs expected to hatch over the next few days. However, kākāpō conservation is a roller-coaster and seven chicks have died from illness or injury. Auckland Zoo vet Adam Naylor resuscitated one small chick using CPR and timely sutures saved the life of another; both patients recovered well and are back in the nest with their kākāpō mother or foster mother. Scientist Andrew Digby reports

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00:31:17

Kākāpō Files II 12 | Lots of Kākāpō Babies

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2026/03/09

The number of kākāpō chicks has climbed to 54, with plenty more fertile eggs still to hatch on Whenua Hou and Pukenui/Anchor Island. Remote monitoring technology shows that seven kākāpō mums on Te Kakahu/Chalky Island are likely raising chicks as well. DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme is using a genetic ranking system to prioritise how much management attention each chick receives – Kākāpō Cam star Rakiura, for instance, is foster mum to a silver chick and also a gold chick. The oldest chick,

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00:21:17

Kākāpō Files II 11 | Kākāpō Baby Boom

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2026/02/23

Fourteen kākāpō chicks have hatched in wild nests, where they are being cared for by mums and foster mums. More than a hundred viable fertile eggs have already been laid, with more expected in the next couple of weeks. On Whenua Hou, fertile eggs are cared for in incubators to keep them safe and are returned to nests to hatch. DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme has placed a Smart Egg in the nest of Kākāpō Cam star Rakiura, to alert her to the imminent arrival of a pipping egg whose hatching should

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00:19:33

Kākāpō Files II 10 | The First Chick

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2026/02/16

The first chick of the 2026 kākāpō breeding season has successfully hatched on Pukenui/Anchor Island. DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme reports that Tiwhiri-A1-2026 hatched in foster mother Yasmine’s nest on 14 February 2026 and is the first kākāpō chick in four years. Huhū-A1-2026 is due to hatch on Whenua Hou imminently. Sixty-two kākāpō nests have been found so far and the egg tally is nearly 200, of which 78 are known to be fertile. More eggs are expected. Alison Ballance visits Whenua Hou, meets

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00:09:47

Kākāpō Files II 09 | Nesting Time

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2026/02/09

Almost 90% of adult female kākāpō of breeding age have mated so far this breeding season, and two thirds of those are nesting. Some birds have already laid a full clutch of eggs and while some clutches are 100% fertile, others are - as expected - unfortunately infertile. To date there are 55 fertile kākāpō eggs, and that number grows daily as kākāpō rangers find nests and are able to check the developing eggs. Alison Ballance checks in from Whenua Hou, where technical advisor Daryl Eason is nearing

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00:15:15

Kākāpō Files II 08 | Peak Breeding

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2026/02/02

More than three-quarters of female kākāpō of breeding age have mated so far, and the number of nests is growing rapidly. Kākāpō operations manager Deidre Vercoe tells Alison Ballance that 101 eggs have been laid to date, and while it is early days 38 eggs are known to be fertile. As always, infertile eggs are a major problem, although science advisor Andrew Digby explains that recent research shows that many eggs are in fact fertilised but die in the first day or two. And Deidre says that the Kākāpō

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00:21:26

Kākāpō Files II 07 | Full Steam Ahead

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2026/01/26

The 2026 kākāpō breeding season is all systems go: nearly half of the females of breeding age have mated and so far 15 females are nesting. Technical Advisor Daryl Eason talks about record-breaking female Ongaonga who, at 4 years-old, is the youngest female kākāpō ever to breed. There are plenty of other first-time breeders as well. Six females were successfully inseminated with sperm from under-represented males. Ranger Maddy Whitaker updates us with the latest numbers, including a single fertile

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00:16:34

Kākāpō Files II 06 | Kākāpō Action Heating Up

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2026/01/19

There have been 24 kākāpō matings so far, and the number is increasing as mating action heats up on all three breeding islands. Deidre Vercoe, from the Kākāpō Recovery Programme, tells Alison Ballance that some 7-year-old birds from the 2019 breeding season have mated for the first time. The first female to mate this season, Pearl, has laid infertile eggs, but nightly activity monitoring shows that three more females have started nesting. Technical Advisor Daryl Eason talks about the

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00:21:20

Kākāpō Files II 05 | The First Nest

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2026/01/12

Early bird Pearl has laid the first eggs of the 2026 kākāpō breeding season but Kākāpō Recovery Programme science advisor Andrew Digby tells Alison Ballance that it’s too soon to know if they are fertile. Youngsters Huhū and Hondy are the third pair to mate on Whenua Hou, and Heather and Bluster Murphy are the fourth. Hine Taumai and Henry are the first to mate on Anchor Island. Technical advisor Daryl Eason explains the use of artificial insemination (AI), and we find out why it is a useful

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00:14:56

Kākāpō Files II 04 | Any Minute Now

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2026/01/05

It’s the New Year and we’re in the early days of a big kākāpō breeding season. Daryl Eason from the Kākāpō Team tells Alison Ballance that Esperance and Ian are the second kākāpō to mate, and he expects that any minute now there will be plenty more birds mating. The kākāpō population drops to 236 birds. Science advisor Andrew Digby explains why every living kākāpō has had its genome sequenced, and what genes can reveal – including why some kākāpō have olive feathers and others are bright green. And

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00:17:03

Kākāpō Files II 03 | Kākāpō Countdown

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2025/12/29

It’s nearly the New Year and we’re counting down to the start of a big kākāpō breeding season. Island ranger Maddy Whittaker tells Alison Ballance that Pearl and Boss are the first kākāpō to mate. Deidre Vercoe, operations manager for the Kākāpō Team, explains that kākāpō mums on Whenua Hou will get wrap-round support, while management on Anchor Island and Te Kakahu/Chalky Island will be more hands-off. Scientist Andrew Digby talks about the role of technology in making this possible, and digs into

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00:17:53

Kākāpō Files II 02 | Meet the Team

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2025/12/22

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

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00:26:04

Kākāpō Files II 01 | The Birds are Back

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2025/12/15

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 kakapo@rnz.co.nz.In this

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00:00:53

Introducing: Kākāpō Files II

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2025/11/26

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

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00:00:58

New Video: Antarctica in a Warming World

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2025/11/23

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

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00:30:38

Voices from Antarctica 08 | Under the ice

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2025/11/12

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

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00:27:26

Voices from Antarctica 07 | What the ice is saying

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2025/11/05

Researchers are using hot water to drill through the Ross ice shelf, to discover what has happened to Antarctic ice during previous periods of warm climates.To see images and read more about this episode, visit the RNZ website here: Voices from Antarctica: What the ice is sayingGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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00:29:39

Voices from Antarctica 06 | Seal songs

Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files II ·

2025/10/29

Alison Ballance eavesdrops on the songs of the world's southern-most mammal, the Weddell seal, and finds out about sea ice.To see images and read more about this episode, visit the RNZ website here: Voices from Antarctica: Seal songsGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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