New foster mum Hanariki feeding Pearl-B4 on Pukenui after transfer from Whenua Hou. The rimu on Pukenui is ripening earlier and more abundantly than on Whenua Hou. This rich food supply means mums on Pukenui are better able to support two chicks in a nest. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
𝘒𝘪𝘢 𝘰𝘳𝘢 from Rakiura, Nora and Heather in Whenua Hou. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
𝘒𝘪𝘢 𝘰𝘳𝘢 from Whenua Hou where one of the chicks ... I'm guessing it's the boy, Heather ... has moved back to the central dug-out where he can hog the limelight. #Kakapo2026 #Rakiura #nzwildlife
𝘒𝘪𝘢 𝘰𝘳𝘢 from Whenua Hou where all is well in the House of Rakiura. And let's hope New Zealand is another country not directly in genocidal megalomaniac Trump's line of sight. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
A green praying mantis with a flattened, leaf-like form clinging to bark, depositing a milky white unhardened egg case, or ootheca, from the end of her abdomen.
A cool praying mantis laying her ootheca on a cabbage tree in my yard!! I'm pretty sure this is the native species (Orthodera novazealandiae) though I cannot see her forearms to check for a blue eye-spot.
#NZwildlife
#Aotearoa
Rakiura has been busy digging a new crater in her chicks' preferred location and undertaking other maintenance on the surrounds. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
𝘒𝘪𝘢 𝘰𝘳𝘢 from Whenua Hou where Nora and Heather have been quite mobile, moving out of the crater to sleep against a wall. Rakiura returns to preen their feathers in the first instance. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
For those who might be interested, there is a Kakapo incubator and brooder room on Whenua Hou. #Kakapo2026 #KakapoRecovery #nzwildlife
𝘒𝘪𝘢 𝘰𝘳𝘢 from Whenua Hou where Rakiura returned to mayhem this morning. Heather had left the crater! We ended up with some close-ups. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
𝘒𝘪𝘢 𝘰𝘳𝘢 from Whenua Hou where Rakiura has recently returned to her nest to manage two bundles of joy. Heather-A3 (male) is back living with Rakiura and Nora while his foster mother focuses on another chick needing extra care right now. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
𝘒𝘪𝘢 𝘰𝘳𝘢 from Whenua Hou where a recent feeding session involved a lot of winging on the part of Nora. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
While there were technical issues with the webcam, the NZ Department of Conservation's Kākāpō Recovery team posted some highlights from Rakiura's nest so far this season. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
Rakiura preens while Nora takes a peek over the lip of the new crater. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
Ok, so it turns out Rakiura is building a crater. I'm not certain we're going to see Nora again for a while. 😬
All jokes aside, I wonder if having a growing Nora sit lower makes it easier for Rakiura to feed her. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
Rakiura moves on from preening Nora to the all-important grubbing of the nest. A mother's work is never done. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
𝘒𝘪𝘢 𝘰𝘳𝘢 from Rakiura and Nora on Whenua Hou where Nora is growing at a fast rate of knots thanks to her awesome Mum. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
For anyone following Rakiura on Whenua Hou, there's a new link to the webcam. #Kakapo #nzwildlife
youtu.be/LDSWtyU6-Lg
Meet 16-year-old Tīaka (with Rangers Dani and Leigh) who went off grid 18 mths ago. She recently resurfaced and was fitted with a new transmitter—and just a couple of weeks later was found on her first ever nest. She now has a one-week-old chick, Tīaka-A1. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
As a foster mother 12 years ago, Rakiura encouraged Heather Two to leave the security of the underground nest for the first time on 17 May 2014. What a great Mum Rakiura was and is, still to this day. 💚💚 #Kakapo #nzwildlife
youtu.be/VfPiI2xdlVw
A special moment.
This was Rakiura hatching Vori‑A1 on 24 February 2026. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
A lovely picture of Weheruatanga-o-te-po with Hera-A2 and Vori-A4 who, if I'm reading things correctly, live on Whenua Hou. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
Nora with Rakiura, demonstrating how much stronger she is becoming. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
𝘒𝘪𝘢 𝘰𝘳𝘢 from Pukenui where Tiwhiri has two chicks to feed ... Tiwhiri-A3 and Tiwhiri-A4. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
𝘒𝘪𝘢 𝘰𝘳𝘢 from Whenua Hou where all is well with Rakiura and Nora. Nora has been flapping her little wings and showing us her strong, long legs. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
𝘒𝘪𝘢 𝘰𝘳𝘢 from Whenua Hou where in the wee hours of the morning while Rakiura was out and about, Nora was awake and active: pooping, crop dropping, standing strong and inquisitive of her surroundings. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
𝘒𝘪𝘢 𝘰𝘳𝘢 from Whenua Hou (aka Codfish Island) where last night Ranger Tom, 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘢, had an update on Nora who's being raised by Rakiura. #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
A lovely photo of Mum Vori feeding chick Vori-A2. This nest is located on Whenua Hou (aka Codfish Island). #Kakapo2026 #nzwildlife
