Kākā

Conservation status
In some trouble

Friends who squawk together stay together. Kākā could be the gossip queens of the forest, as they are often in large chattery congregations. Numbers are increasing near Wellington but avoid sharing bread and crackers with them. The best way to support them is to plant a native tree so you can share the tree sap and nectar.

Campaign Manager

Project Janszoon

Project Janszoon

Project Janszoon is on a mission to restore and preserve the Abel Tasman National Park's rich natural heritage for all to enjoy, and the growing kākā population is something we really want to celebrate. Kākā were functionally extinct in the Park, with only a few male birds remaining before the first introduction of four birds in 2015, with 35 released in total over four years. 

We now have a breeding population of kākā around Bark Bay and Wainui, and birds are spreading further into the Park from these strongholds. Creating a safe habitat for kākā in the Park has involved years of coordinated pest control from Project Janszoon and its partners, the Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust, DOC and Air New Zealand. We think this remarkable bird deserves to be recognised as Bird of the Century - vote kākā #kakaBOTC!

Kākā

Credit - Judi Lapsley Miller