The 600th kaka banded at Zealandia. His combination is ML-R (mauve over lime on the left leg, and a red "cohort" band on the right leg). Photo by Linton Miller.

Media Release
Tuesday 6 January

600th Kākā Banded at ZEALANDIA

ZEALANDIA has banded its 600th kākā since 14 birds were transferred into the wild at Zealandia in 2002. Until then, kākā had effectively been extinct in Wellington since the early 20th century.

The birds are monitored by a group of passionate volunteers who regularly check the nestboxes with the reward of seeing their eggs hatch and chicks grow into fully-fledged kākā. Nestlings are banded at about 40 days of age before being returned to their nestboxes. A few weeks later, they will fledge and usually spend a few months close to their parents before venturing further afield on their own. Volunteer kākā group convener, Judi Miller, says “even at 40 days old, the nestlings have distinct personalities.”

This season's nestlings are sporting a festive red band on one leg, and two unique colour band combinations on the other leg, allowing researchers to easily identify them at a distance.

Kākā researcher Julia Loepelt holds the 600th kaka banded at Zealandia - a bonny boy. Photo by Linton Miller.

Monitoring this species allows ZEALANDIA to support ongoing research projects that aim to find out more about kākā cognition, the effect of heavy metals on kākā populations, and how kākā interact with the puriri moth and their host trees.

Kākā are now found throughout the Wellington region and are best seen at feeding stations in ZEALANDIA - or in gardens and parks around Wellington City.