Comments on: Comments on 16934

Post number 16934

homunculus — Mon, 06 May 2002 11:06:27 -0800

The number of kakapos in the world has risen by a third recently thanks to a 'bumper brood of chicks'. The kakapo, the worlds rarest parrot, was made famous by Douglas Adams' book Last Chance to See and is probably best known for its extravagent mating system. It is nice to see an endangered species doing better, especially one as cute and odd as this one is.

By: iconomy

iconomy — Mon, 06 May 2002 11:33:58 -0800

They are really cute. The chick is lavender - wow. So pretty. I wonder if there's an audio file anywhere of the kakapo mating boom - I'm really curious to hear what that sounds like. This is a great post, homunculus - very nicely put together.

By: me3dia

me3dia — Mon, 06 May 2002 11:40:49 -0800

One of my favorite books, and my favorite chapter in said book. Great to hear the kakapo will boom more in the future.

By: i_am_joe's_spleen

i_am_joe's_spleen — Mon, 06 May 2002 12:22:58 -0800

There's a recording of the boom here. (My firm hosts the site).

By: ZachsMind

ZachsMind — Mon, 06 May 2002 12:41:07 -0800

Definitely good news, in a world presently filled with treachery, lies, and war. At least in the headlines. Would only that there be more good news like this.

By: MrMoonPie

MrMoonPie — Mon, 06 May 2002 12:48:25 -0800

Has anyone tried synchronizing that recording with the Wizard of Oz?

By: homunculus

homunculus — Mon, 06 May 2002 13:00:27 -0800

This is a great post, homunculus - very nicely put together. *blush*

By: madmanz123

madmanz123 — Mon, 06 May 2002 13:17:32 -0800

This bird seems destined for extinction in a way (not saying I want that to happen though). Its mating habits, slow breading, lack of flight all seem to work to its disadvantage. Rather interesting that it evolved this way at all. Nature is indeed surprising.

By: X-00

X-00 — Mon, 06 May 2002 14:33:32 -0800

madmanz123, New Zealand before any settlement by humans had very few predators [the Hasst eagle being the most impressive], with no native mammals [expect a small bat] and very few predators [no rats, stots, cats, dogs], a large number of species, [kiwi, moa, weka, etc] all became flightless and with a slow breeding cycle. Because of Human settlement and introduction of predatory mammals, almost all of New Zealand's birds are endangered.

By: i_am_joe's_spleen

i_am_joe's_spleen — Mon, 06 May 2002 14:46:54 -0800

X-00 - what a shock that link gave me. On my bedroom wall as a kid there was a poster with that exact image of the Haast eagle. Nonetheless, the text in that page is craaaaaap. Here is a much better one. This same site includes the eternal lyric: No moa, no moa In old Ao-tea-roa. Can't get 'em. They've et 'em; They've gone and there aint no moa!

By: Catch

Catch — Mon, 06 May 2002 17:11:46 -0800

Heh. A Booming, flightless, nocturnal parrot, which spends most of its time maintaining perfect little pathways through the bush... Yeah, right, whatever. But seriously, thank god those haast eagles are extinct! I can just see them swooping down on Customhouse Quay at half-past-five, picking off choice grey-suited morsels and carrying them off to their nests on the Majestic Centre.

By: X-00

X-00 — Mon, 06 May 2002 17:48:40 -0800

I can't see how thats a bad thing Catch, we could weed out the crap managers by weighting them down with paper work.

By: Catch

Catch — Mon, 06 May 2002 18:11:53 -0800

I suppose it could be manipulated into part of the whole "adventure tourism" thang.

By: iconomy

iconomy — Mon, 06 May 2002 18:27:20 -0800

Thanks for the audio, i_am_joe's_spleen. It sounds like a tuba.