Kaka (Nestor meridionalis)

Size: 45 cm, 475/425gm (NI) 575/500gm (SI)

Description: A large parrot, crimson undersides, greeny brown wings. Light coloured crown, feet dark, long upper bill. South Island birds heavier and more brightly coloured. Calls are varied, harsh squawks and very liquid whistles.

Habitat: Native forest and bush. Common on predator free islands. Some frequent orchards.

Status: Protected threatened endemic. Less than 10,000 birds. Common on various off shore islands, moderately common in some forests of the North Island.

Breeding: September - April. 5-7 eggs. Nests in decaying trees, making a bowl of wood dust. 1-5 eggs incubated by the female. Chicks are fully independent in 5 months.

Where and how to photograph: Oban, Stewart Island for South Island Kaka. Great Barrier Island for North Island Kaka. Quite approachable, but often in dim forest.

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