DOC hopes to expand kakapo gene pool this breeding season

December 3, 2007

This month the sound of booming male kakapo will herald the start of the breeding season on Codfish Island / Whenua Hou, an island sanctuary located 3km off the coast of Stewart Island.

Following matings in February and March, it is hoped that the females will nest in the late summer, giving DOC staff their first opportunity to trial artificial insemination techniques to improve egg fertility and genetic variation.

Emma Neill from the kakapo recovery team was positive about this breeding season citing the presence of rimu fruit, and the return of the Spanish artificial insemination expert Dr. Juan Blanco as being pivotal for the continued survival of New Zealand’s rare bird.

“We are really excited about what this could mean for the population. Females only mate when there is enough rimu fruit to raise chicks on and this year the trees on Whenua Hou look set to fruit. We think over half of the 26 breeding-age females could lay eggs. The contribution from Dr Blanco during this time will be hugely beneficial.”

Blanco has spent some weeks in the last two summers with the kakapo team demonstrating how to extract sperm through massage and how to store it. He will return this summer thanks to the support of the recovery programme’s sponsor Rio Tinto Alcan (New Zealand), to assist with artificial insemination of female kakapo.

Ms Neill said DOC was hoping to use sperm from Richard Henry, a kakapo discovered in Fiordland, and at a later stage his two male off-spring, to increase the genetic diversity of the population with the precious Fiordland genes.

Ms Neill said dominant male kakapo such as Felix had more success at attracting females resulting in an over-representation of his genes. “This is exactly why the technique is so valuable to us.”

Artificial insemination will provide greater control over the gene pool, Ms Neill said. “Females who copulate more than once have a higher fertility rate, and by introducing the technique employed by Blanco, we can ensure females mate more than once, and manage what sperm fertilises an egg.

“This could be huge for the recovery programme, but with anything new it is one step at a time, which is why initially not all laying females will be artificially inseminated.”

Those that are, Ms Neill said, will be closely monitored.

“We have our fingers crossed. There are so many variables in the mix but we are confident that this summer will be a successful breeding season.”

Additional information:

* The Kakapo Recovery Programme has been supported by Rio Tinto Alcan (New Zealand) - formerly Comalco New Zealand Limited, since 1990.
* There are presently volunteers assisting the kakapo recovery programme on Codfish Island / Whenua Hou carrying out supplementary feeding. Supplementary feeding of specially produced pellets occurs every summer on islands where kakapo are managed.
* Kakapo are managed on two islands – Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, near Stewart Island; and Anchor Island in Dusky Sound, Fiordland.
* If breeding does eventuate, volunteers will be carrying out nest-minding duties. This involves carrying heavy nest monitoring equipment around the island to each nest site, and camping near the nest to ensure the female incubates properly.
* Kakapo last bred in 2005 when four chicks were produced, but the record year and one probably not likely to be repeated was in 2002 with 24 chicks.
* In the breeding season, male kakapo swell up like a balloon and emit a low booming sound that can travel up to 5km.