Birds
Kaka
Nestor meridionalis · also called New Zealand kaka
Behind a predator-proof fence in a New Zealand sanctuary, a kaka tears into a rotting log with its powerful curved bill, extracting a grub in a habitat finally free of the introduced mammals that have devastated this species elsewhere across its historical range.
Overview
The kaka, Nestor meridionalis, is a large, intelligent forest parrot native to New Zealand, closely related to the kea. Its severe decline from introduced mammalian predators and dependence on predator-free sanctuaries make it one of the more urgent parrot conservation cases in the Southern Hemisphere.
A bird still learning to survive new dangers
Having evolved without any native land mammal predators, the kaka had no defense ready when stoats, rats, and possums arrived, leaving conservationists to build the protection the species itself never had reason to develop.
Status
Vulnerable — declining due to introduced predator pressure, with populations increasingly concentrated on predator-free islands and within fenced sanctuaries.
Kaka: common questions
Why has the kaka declined so much in New Zealand?
Kaka populations have been severely affected by introduced mammalian predators such as stoats, rats, and possums, which prey on eggs, chicks, and even incubating females at the nest, a serious vulnerability that developed because the species evolved in New Zealand with no native land mammal predators to guard against.
Is the kaka related to the kea?
Yes, the kaka is a large, notably intelligent parrot species closely related to the kea, sharing similar problem-solving abilities and behavioural flexibility, though the two species occupy somewhat different habitat niches within New Zealand, with the kea generally associated more with alpine terrain.
How does a kaka get insect grubs out of wood?
A kaka uses its strong, curved bill to tear into decaying wood and extract wood-boring insect larvae, a foraging technique that requires considerable strength and precision, allowing the bird to access a food source largely unavailable to less powerful-billed forest birds.
Where can you find kaka today?
Much of the remaining kaka population now survives mainly on predator-free offshore islands and within fenced mainland sanctuaries specifically managed to exclude introduced predators, reflecting how significantly the species' viable range has contracted from its historical distribution across New Zealand's forests.