SI Kākā Captive Breeding programme Flocking and Breeding plan for 24/25
Captive Coordinator: 9(2)(g)(ii)
1 May 2024
The captive South Island kākā breeding programme is very important in supporting the establishment
of the species at new sites. The captive programme has the potential to provide a reliable, regular
source of juveniles for release programmes.
Captive management objectives (from Captive Management Plan)
Objective 1: Maximise productivity of the captive population, to produce South Island (SI) kākā
for release into the wild at release sites.
Objective 2: Manage the SI kākā captive population to maximise the genetic diversity available for
each reintroduction site.
Objective 3: Support reintroduction programmes by providing quality captive-reared kākā suitable
for release at ecosystem restoration sites approved by DOC, to establish viable self-sustaining
populations.
Expectations of Current Release Sites:
A key objective of the captive population is to support the re-introduction and establishment of kākā
at the release sites, so it is important that we understand and work towards the needs of the release
site.
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Goals for 24/25 Breeding Season:
Based on the needs of the release sites, the captive management goals for 2024/25 are:
1. Maximise the output of the TOS pairs to provide as many birds as possible to the Brook
Waimārama Sanctuary. The genetic diversity of the TOS captive population in extremely
limited, so there is not an opportunity to significantly improve the genetic diversity unless a
release site chooses to secure additional genetics for the captive population.
2. Focus on providing as many birds as possible with currently un- or under-represented genetics Act
for release to Orokonui.
3. Future-proof the captive population by optimising the genetic diversity and age of the SSI
captive population. This will be achieved by targeted releases/retirement of old and over-
represented birds and retaining young birds from priority genetics.
These goals are aligned with the intent and main objectives of the captive management plan.
How We Will Achieve These Goals
Approach
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The 23/24 breeding season saw us focussing clearly on all our objectives by utilising flocking and
artificial insemination. The exercise of bringing all the breeding birds to Dunedin Botanic Gardens
illustrated the advantage of having birds synchronised with their nesting efforts. It offered us the
opportunity to swap eggs and foster chicks with experienced pairs. We also found it advantageous to
cycle the youngest chicks in with the most experienced females until they were feeding and gaining
weight, then move them in with a less experience female to give her the opportunity to raise them. It
also allowed us to fine tune the incubation of kākā eggs and assist hatching of chicks due to
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malposition and/or delays in hatching times. All of this worked to increase the productivity for the
2023/24 season:
Priority Birds Produced
Overrepresented birds Produced
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Toanga
4 chicks
Bling/L54
5 chicks
Ceasar
4 chicks
Hannah/Casey
2 chicks
TOS pairs
2 chicks
Based on these results, this strategy will be used again in 2024/25 to focus on these goals.
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Overview of Actions
This summary provides an overview of how we’ll go about achieving this year’s goals. The detailed
recommendations for movements and holdings are provided in Table 1.
Goal 1: Maximise productivity of the TOS captive population.
• Retain the 2 TOS pairs that bred in 2023/24 at Dunedin Botanic Gardens (DBG) to maximise
breeding by double clutching and fostering of eggs/chicks.
• Transfer the non-breeding TOS male (Tussock) to Natureland to be flocked with new females
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to see if this will prompt breeding behaviour.
• Transfer Tussock to Invercargill Queens Park to pair with Ceaser.
Goals 2 and 3: Maximising the genetic diversity available for releases to Orokonui and to future
proof the SSI captive population.
• Prioritise breeding for Jimmy and Cleo. They are unrelated to any other birds in the captive
population and any birds released at Orokonui so far. As such, they are the most genetically
valuable SSI birds and offspring from them would contribute significantly to the Orokonui
population and the future of the SSI captive population.
Both of these birds have physical limitations and are relatively old. While held together at
DBG this year, they appeared bonded, showed interest in nest boxes, and we suspect there
was a mating attempt. They will be retained at DBG as a priority for breeding while also
maintaining AI as a possible option.
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If we are successful in securing chicks from Jimmy and/or Cleo, we would likely retain one
to several of these chicks as a new genetic line within the captive population, with remaining
birds released to Orokonui.
• Retain a male and a female chick (2 chicks) from Toanga and Ceasar’s pairings into the captive
population to bolster that genetic line and release remaining birds. These genes are currently
underrepresented in the released population. Retain an additional male (Toanga’s chick) to
house with Charlie
• Retain two chicks that have been held since 2022/23 as future breeders.
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• Release some birds to free up space in the captive population for other genetic lines.
o Release Betty into the wild. Her genes are well represented in the released population.
o Release 2 of the birds that have been held since the 2022/23 season.
• Maintain ‘retired’ captive pairs that are no longer contributing but are not suitable for release.
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23/24 Breeding season Chicks produced at Dunedin Botanic Gardens
This chart indicates the proposed releases and retention of chicks from this breeding season.
Studbook # Sex
Parents
Destination
SK2401
F
L54 x Bling
Orokonui
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SK2402
F
L54 x Bling
Orokonui
SK2403
U
Caeser x Betty
died
SK2404
F
Caeser x Betty
Orokonui
SK2405
M
Caeser x Betty
Wil owbank
SK2406
M
Casey x Hannah
Orokonui
SK2407
M
Casey x Hannah
Orokonui
SK2408
M
Caeser x Hannah
Orokonui
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SK2409
M
Caeser x Hannah
Orokonui
SK2410
U
Matai x Mahoe
Abel Tasman NP
SK2411
U
Kawakawa x Kairi
Abel Tasman NP
SK2412
M
L54 x Bling
Orokonui
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SK2413
F
L54 x Bling
Orokonui
SK2414
M
L54 x Bling
Orokonui
the
SK2415
F
Toanga x L52
Orokonui
SK2516
F
Toanga x L52
Orokonui
SK2417
F
Toanga x L52
Queenstown
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SK2418
M
Toanga x L52
Orokonui
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