Birds of New Zealand Birds of New Zealand The birds of New Zealand evolved into an avifauna that included a large number of endemic species (that is, species found in no other country). As an island archipelago New Zealand accumulated bird diversity and when Captain James Cook arrived in the 1770s he noted that the bird song was deafening. The mix includes species with unusual biology such as the kakapo which is the world's only flightless, nocturnal, lek (competitive display) breeding parrot, but also many species that are similar to neighboring land areas. A process of colonization, speciation and extinction has been at play
Kakapo in the nest (and no available nest to move them to) they will be hand-reared by the Kakapo Recovery team. To monitor the kakapo population continuously, each bird is equipped with a radio transmitter. Every known kakapo, barring some young chicks, has been given a name by Kakapo Recovery Programme officials, and detailed data is gathered about every individual. GPS transmitters are also being trialled to provide more detailed data about the movement of individual birds and their habitat use. The signals also provide behavioural data, letting rangers gather information about mating and nesting remotely. Every individual kakapo receives an