Big brood of rotund rare parrots

bbc ^ | Wednesday, 15 April 2009

[JoeProBono]

One of the world's rarest birds, New Zealand's kakapo, is now not quite so rare thanks to the arrival of 34 kakapo chicks.

In 1995, kakapo numbers had dwindled to just 51. Kakapo chick If we hadn't taken the chicks off the island to hand raise them, a lot of them would have died Nyia Strachan New Zealand Department of Conservation "It's critically endangered but it's in a healthier position than it was a decade ago," says Nyia Strachan, a communications officer at New Zealand's Department of Conservation. The prolific - by kakapo standards - breeding season was a combination of a group of females being mature enough to breed, and the prospect of a favourite kakapo food, rimu fruit.

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[americanophile]

Always nice to see something like this make a comeback.

[redhead]

Buster, my 16-year-old African Gray, says “Hooray! Go, Kakapo!” :o)

[JoeProBono]

Smart

[redhead]

He has his own little song he made up: “Eee-I-O! Buster all the day! Toot, toot!” It’s been a joy being part of his life. He has a very large vocabulary, and can whistle just like a human.

[JoeProBono]

;-}