"Kakapo breed only every two to four years when the native rimu trees mast and produce large numbers of berries, so repopulation is slow. This year a mega-mast is expected, resulting in a bountiful harvest of rimu berries, which could prompt the birds to produce more eggs. The rimu tree produces berries that provide enough nutrition for the birds to raise chicks. Photograph: Nature Picture Library/Alamy"
"Kakapo are thought to live between 60-80 years, can weigh up to 4kgs and are famously entertaining. Their mating rituals are crazy, Vercoe said. Male birds gather in a lek to produce a distinctive booming sound, emitted from air sacs in their chests while sitting in a dug-out bowl in the ground. The deep boom, which can travel up to 5km, sounds similar to a softly plucked cello string."
Kakapo are the world's heaviest parrots, nocturnal and flightless, historically abundant across New Zealand before populations collapsed after introduced predators. A recovery programme established in 1995 increased numbers from 51 to 236 birds, including 83 breeding-age females. Kakapo breed only every two to four years when native rimu trees mast and produce berries, so population growth is slow. A mega-mast of rimu is expected to provide abundant nutrition and could prompt widespread breeding and more eggs. Males perform deep booming displays from leks, while females incubate and raise chicks alone for roughly six months.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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