Kakapo Podcast featuring Stephen Fry and Paul Jansen

ParrotScience.com has a very nice "enhanced" Kakapo Podcast with a pretty comprehensive history of the Kakapo. It features Stephen Fry reading Douglas Adam's description of the Kakapo from Last Chance To See, sort of a sneak-peek of next year's TV series narration. It also features Paul Jansen of the Kakapo Recovery Programme in New Zealand.

This is a great episode for those with displays on their iPod or watching it on the computer. ***Plenty of photos and live web links embedded as you go along! If you want more information, click on the photo when listening***

KAKAPO PARROTS - Bird flu vaccinations

Several news agencies are reporting on Paul Jansen of New Zealand's Department Of Conservation announcement that several of the island's birds could be vaccinated against the virulant bird flu H5N1 that is sweeping the globe.

New Zealand's iconic flightless birds, the kiwi and the near-extinct kakapo, will be vaccinated against bird flu if the virus is detected anywhere near this isolated South Pacific nation, a conservationist said Friday.

New Zealand has reported no cases of the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain, but native birds are likely "highly susceptible" to it, said Paul Jansen, leader of the Department of Conservation's kiwi and kakapo recovery team.

Full Report

KAKAPO PARROTS - Hunt for kakapo to resume

The New Zealand Herald has news on a hunt for two Kakapo Parrots, Tawbert and Biscuit.

The last hunt for Fiordland's lost kakapo will be launched next month, 20 years after the birds were last known to be alive.

Don Merton, 65, now retired but who played a key role in the rescue of kakapo more than 30 years ago, and Department of Conservation kakapo team leader Paul Jansen, will lead the search from January 17 over some of the most rugged and remote country to find two males, Tawbert and Biscuit.

Full Story

KAKAPO PARROTS - Aggressive kakapo banished to Fiordland

Stuff.co.nz has more on the recent beating of Kakapo Parrot chick Pounamu, by "nitwit" male Dot.

Kakapo recovery team leader Paul Jansen said Pounamu, a female chick, was injured three weeks ago when Dot, a two-year-old male, jumped into the pen she was sharing with another chick.

Mr Jansen said Pounamu was badly bruised and lost a few feathers around her head in the attack.

She was taken to the Massey University clinic to ensure she did not have any internal bleeding, and would be back in her southern home soon.

"It was nothing major, just a kicking in the pub carpark, rather than a drive-by shooting."

KAKAPO PARROTS - Under-sexed Kakapos have "rubbish" sperm

The goal in 2006 will be to ensure each Kakapo breeds twice within the season. Paul Jansen explains why to The New Zealand Herald.

Scientists have discovered female kakapo that mate twice in a season have a higher chance of producing fertile eggs. That was thought to be because of the "very poor quality" of male kakapo sperm, Mr Jansen said.

"The majority of kakapo sperm is rubbish. Even productive birds have poor sperm because of past inbreeding," he said.

"They’re so inbred that if they were humans, they’d probably have six fingers and be playing a guitar."

KAKAPO PARROTS - Going for 91

Article from New Zealand's STUFF on the hopes for the rest of the 2005 kakapo breeding season, and also the optimism for 2006.

The kakapo population was at its highest point in more than 30 years with the hatching of four chicks bringing the total to 87, kakapo recovery team leader Paul Jansen said.

The four chicks on Codfish Island were likely to be joined by more, with four more eggs expected to hatch within the next 10 days, he said.

"The best we could do is get 91 kakapo by the end of the season."

Kakapo had not bred since 2002 when 24 chicks were born.

KAKAPOS - Interview With Paul Jansen

Here's a page over at Talk Wildlife featuring an interview with Paul Jansen, team leader of The Kakapo Recovery Programme.

Not sure how old the interview is, but it discusses plans for the project beyond 2005, and has some nice pictures of Kakapo chicks.

In up-to-date news, the excitement continues to mount in the programme after the three kakapo chicks hatched last weekend, with more predicted soon.

KAKAPO PARROTS - Five eggs on Codfish Island

More good news from The Kakapo Recovery Programme, with this report from New Zealand's Stuff.

Kakapo on Codfish Island have laid five eggs with more thought to be on the way.

Kakapo recovery team leader Paul Jansen yesterday said one bird, named Lisa, had laid three eggs, while another had laid two.

The team had checked nests of the endangered parrot on the island, near Stewart Island, on Sunday and had tried to check fertility on Monday night but Lisa would not get off her nest, Mr Jansen said.

KAKAPO NEWS - Paul Jansen's position axed

Tragic news for the Kakapo Recovery Programme in this article from The New Zealand Herald.

The man who led the programme to save New Zealand's native parrot, the kakapo, has been sidelined into a technical desk job in a drastic Conservation Department cost-cutting exercise that will axe 13 jobs.

The $2.1 million cuts involve disbanding the biodiversity recovery unit.
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Kakapo recovery programme leader Paul Jansen has been assigned to writing standard operating procedures.

The scientist in the kakapo team has been shifted to a 'site management' unit and the vet in the team has been moved into other work.

Also of note this week, a Maori cloak made of Kakapo feathers is to remain in Scotland.

Preserved Maori heads and rare feather cloaks are in storage in a Scottish museum, despite the efforts of a Lower Hutt doctor to bring them home.

Stewart Reid emigrated to New Zealand from Scotland almost 30 years ago. On a visit back to Scotland in the 1980s he came across an 18th-century kakapo feather cloak on display in Perth Museum and Art Gallery. He was told by museum staff it was the only one of its kind in the world.

NEWS - NZAS employees provide Kakapos a helping hand

Scoop has this article with great news for Kakapos

Support for the Kakapo steps up a gear today with the launch of an active partnership between New Zealand Aluminium Smelters (NZAS) Ltd and the Kakapo Recovery Team.

NZAS employee Aaron Smith is the first of a series of volunteers who will trade in manufacturing aluminium for two weeks in the rugged bush of Codfish Island looking after kakapo.

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Kakapo Recovery team leader Paul Jansen sees the inclusion of NZAS staff as providing many advantages for the kakapo recovery programme.

“Creating a stronger link with the Southland community, through local ownership of the programme, and having an even bigger team of dedicated supporters to assist with the birds and island equipment, is fantastic, ” Mr Jansen said.

NEWS - Kakapo inoculations going well

News article from New Zealand about Dobbie the kakapo and his friends.

Dobbie the kakapo was alive and well, Department of Conservation kakapo recovery team leader Paul Jansen reported last night.

Dobbie was the first Chalky Island kakapo to be inoculated against the deadly bacteria erysipelas, which has killed three of his comrades