95 Kākāpō Chicks Hatch in New Zealand's Best Year Ever

Two fluffy kākāpō siblings named Tīwhiri-A3 and Tīwhiri-A4 are part of the most successful breeding season ever recorded for one of the world's rarest parrots.

New Zealand's Department of Conservation announced that at least 95 kākāpō chicks hatched this year, smashing the previous record of 73 set in 2019. The flightless, moss-green parrots are critically endangered, with only 235 adults remaining after predators nearly wiped them out decades ago.

This year's baby boom happened thanks to a bumper crop of rīmu berries, a favorite food for kākāpō. When the parrots eat well, they breed better, and 2026 delivered the perfect conditions.

Rangers on predator-free islands like Pukenui Anchor Island have been tracking every nest, egg, and hatching. They even posted weekly updates on their office fridge in marker, counting down each precious arrival.

Out of 80 nests, 256 eggs were laid, 148 were fertile, and 105 hatched. The chicks won't officially join the population count until they reach 150 days old and become fledglings.

The Ripple Effect

The success shows how intensive conservation can pull species back from the edge of extinction. Rangers still help with artificial insemination and incubate some eggs to boost survival rates, but the goal is to eventually let the kākāpō manage on their own.

"Each successful hatching is a reminder of how far we have come," said Deidre Vercoe, operations manager for the kākāpō program. As the population grows, conservationists plan to step back and let nature take over more of the work.

Not every chick will survive. Ten have already died, and three are receiving veterinary care. But each fluffy addition brings hope that these ancient parrots will thrive again across New Zealand's islands.

From a population that once dwindled to fewer than 50 birds in the 1990s, the kākāpō are now making one of conservation's most remarkable comebacks.