New Zealand’s rarest mainland forest bird, the kākāriki karaka/orange-fronted parakeet, is having its best breeding season in decades due to a beech seed bonanza, Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage said in Christchurch today.
“It is great news that this year there are more than three times the number of nests compared to previous years,” she said.
“This year’s epic breeding provides a much-needed boost to the kākāriki karaka population.
“There are at least 150 wild-born chicks so far this season, which is a potential doubling of the current population.”