A male owl parrot or kakapo named Rangi who has not been seen, or recorded, for 21 years has just been rediscovered. The bird was found on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, just off Stewart Island, by ranger Chris Birmingham after he heard the distinctive male booming noise.Investigating further he saw by a leg band that this kakapo was one of four males released onto the island sanctuary in 1987, but had not been seen since. Rangi’s return not only boosted the kakapo population to 91, but his genetics as one of 24 founding kakapo males from Stewart Island could further increase the critically endangered birds' gene pool. The Kakapo Recovery programme has also had success with artificial insemination. A female kakapo laid two fertile eggs after she was artificially inseminated by Dr Juan Blanco, a world renowned expert in the area of wildlife reproduction.In 2008, seven chicks hatched on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island. Unfortunately, one did not make it. They were transferred to special facilities in Nelson to be hand-raised after not enough rimu fruit ripened on Whenua Hou/ Codfish Island for their mothers to feed them.
So far this season 19 or the 30 breeding age females has mated. Mating will continue until the end of February.
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