Chicks are named!

The 2016 season was the biggest kākāpō breeding season since the recovery programme began!

The chick ID is their mother’s name, followed by their egg, then number of eggs in the clutch and then year they were laid.

Dusky

Chick ID: Tiwhiri 2-3-16
Sex: Female
Father: Horton (from mating data)

Dusky was named by the team after Dusky Sound, the sound which Anchor Island is in. Dusky was the first kākāpō to hatch on Anchor and the first to hatch in Fiordland in many years. Dusky hatched in Tiwhiri’s nest and was raised by her for 10 days before being transferred to Hine Taumai’s nest, where she fledged.

Gertrude

Chick ID: Kuia 2-3a-16
Sex: Female
Father: either Blake or Kumi (mating data)

Gertrude was named by the team after the spectacular Gertrude Saddle in Fiordland. From this saddle you can see the location where her grandfather Richard Henry was caught in 1975.  Kuia was harassed by sandflies on her first nest and damaged one so her eggs were removed. Gertrude hatched in the incubator and was given to Marama to rear.

Kanawera

Chick ID: Tumeke 2-3-16
Sex: Male Father: Boss (tested)

Kanawera is the previous name for Whenua Hou. The island was named after a prominent Ngāti Maroe chief and given the new name of Whenua Hou after it was given as a place to live to the sealers and their Māori wives.
Kanawera was hand reared following insufficient feeding in both Esperance and Alice’s nests.

Tūterangi

Chick ID: Hine Taumai 2-3-16
Sex: Male
Father: Takitimu (from mating data)

Tūterangi was named by Michael Skerrit. His name is short for Tūterangipaua, who was the brother of Tītapu and son of the woman Hine Taumai.
Tūterangi was hatched by Roha but reared by Tiwhiri.

For more information check out the Facebook page over the next 2 weeks as the chick names are announced.