Kākāpō: Rescued from the Brink of Extinction

Kākāpō is one of New Zealand’s most charismatic yet mysterious birds. It is also one of the world’s most threatened species and a New Zealand conservation success story.

An ancient, flightless, nocturnal, herbivorous giant parrot, the kakapo was once numerous throughout the country but is now extinct in its natural range. At its low point, the population was reduced to as few as 40 known individuals, but thanks to the hard work and innovation of the Kākāpō Recovery Programme, New Zealand’s flagship threatened-species conservation programme, the Kākāpō population now exceeds 120.

Despite this exciting turnaround, there has not been a significant book on the kakapo since 1989. The story of this remarkable bird embraces science, conservation, ingenuity and personal dedication. Through an informative and entertaining mix of hard facts, history, and accounts of the daily and seasonal routines of kakapo and their minders, Alison Ballance brings together these threads to describe the natural history of the bird and tell the inspiring story of the Kākāpō Recovery Programme. Illustrated throughout and with an appendix giving details of all known Kākāpō, this book will appeal to anyone with an interest in the natural world of New Zealand.