By Annie Hill
The original article in Russell Lights | Ngā Mārama o Kororāreka, May 2026 edition
I recently went away for a holiday, and I will remember it mostly for my encounters with Kākā (Nestor meridionalis). Admittedly, I went looking for them, but I was more than rewarded for my efforts in the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary in Nelson, the Botanical Gardens in Wellington, and on Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari. They are described by IUCN as endangered, but recovering, and my experiences show how well our attempts at restoring nature can work. I was filled with joy at the Botanic Gardens, where the soundscape was completely dominated by their squawks, screeches and whistles. To see them tumbling about and swooping among the trees was an incredibly joyous experience. Known for their playful nature, they appeared to love aerobatics for the sheer fun of it, and indeed, Kākā have even been observed sliding down snow banks.
Once a common bird, Kākā must have added a lot of sound and colour to the forests of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Closely related to Kea, there used to be two further species: the Norfolk Kākā and the Chatham Kākā, both, sadly, now extinct. These four parrots are the only members of the genus Nestor. There is some debate as to whether the South Island Kākā is a separate species from the North Island bird, but there seems to be no DNA evidence to support this. They’re also related to Kākāpō, part of the parrot super-family Strigopoidea, an ancient group that split off from all other Psittaciformes millions of years ago.
Kākā are about 45 cm long, with a wingspan of around 75 cm and generally weigh from 390 to 560 g, the average being 450 g. Compared with the showy Rosellas that many Russellites will know, their plumage is more subdued: a patterned browny-green, with a grey-white crown. They have bright red-orange underwings and a deep crimson belly and under-tail coverts. North Island Kākā males tend to have longer bills and bigger heads than females. Unlike so many of our endemic forest birds, they’re strong fliers, often covering long distances.
Highly vocal, Kākā have a range of calls, including loud screeches and chattering sounds. Social interactions within the flock are by way of whistles and chirps, which vary enormously. They make sharp, repetitive sounds to warn of predators and are competent mimics, able to imitate human speech, other bird calls, and artificial sounds such as car alarms.
Kākā inhabit mature native forests with a more complex canopy, preferring podocarps like rimu, tōtara, and kahikatea. They were once widespread, but their habitat has been devastated by land clearances. Over 50% of Kākā are now found on offshore islands such as Kapiti, Codfish and Little Barrier. However, as I mentioned earlier, since breeding successfully in Zealandia, they’re flourishing around Wellington. They are locally common in places such as Fiordland: predator control, particularly of stoats, makes an enormous difference to their being able to flourish.
Like many parrots, Kākā are highly intelligent birds and problem-solvers, who can use tools and are known for their curiosity and playfulness. They live in small flocks, which occasionally include, but on occasion, choose to be solitary. They’re generally found in the mid to high canopy of large trees and are particularly active at dawn or dusk. When food sources such as flowering or fruiting trees are present, they gather in much larger flocks.
Kākā pairs are monogamous and often breed with each other year after year. Males will sometimes become quite protective of their mates and drive away other males, but generally, the birds are not territorial and will nest in fairly close proximity. They choose hollow trees such as mataī, rimu, tōtara, miro, hīnau and, sometimes, dead trees. Artificial nest boxes have been used successfully where natural spaces are scarce. Nests are usually 3 to 6m above the ground, and the mother creates a lining of small wood chips and powder by stripping and chewing wood chips from the cavity wall. Two to four eggs are laid any time between September and March, and sometimes they can bring up two broods. Only the female incubates the eggs, but the male feeds her up to 12 times a day during this period. Incubation takes about 20 days, and the chicks fledge at about 70 days. For much of the time, the nestlings are alone while the parents feed and collect food for the chicks, and both parents feed the chicks after fledging, until they become independent. The juveniles often play and mock-fight together, demonstrating complex cognition and an evolutionary history of living in social groups
Kākā typically feed on varieties of fruits, berries, seeds, flowers, buds, nectar, sap, plants and invertebrates. Their strong beaks can even break into kauri cones to get the seeds, or dig out the grubs of the huhu beetle and remove bark to find sap. They have a brush tongue to feed on nectar, and like many parrots, often stand on one foot and use the other foot to manipulate food, such as stripping the husk off fruit.
Often seen foraging in the canopy, Kākā will also feed on the ground and are known to cache food in tree crevices for later use.
Habitat loss from deforestation and land clearing, reduce their natural habitat, is one of the many issues threatening Kākā. Fragmentation of forests makes it harder for them to find food and mates, and the lack of old trees reduces nesting sites: artificial nest boxes are provided in some areas to encourage breeding. Introduced predators – rats, stoats, possums, etc – prey on eggs, chicks, and adults, while invasive species such as wasps compete for food sources, e.g., honeydew, as do possums, which also greatly damage trees. Climate change is also impacting Kākā by altering the availability of fruit and nectar, as are increasing droughts and wildfires.
Kākā hold cultural importance in Māori traditions and are sometimes referred to as “the clown of the forest” due to their playful behaviour. How they must be missed! However, they will fly long distances, and many people have encountered them around the Bay of Islands. If we keep predator numbers to a minimum, ensure that there’s food for them, and put up nest boxes where there are no big trees, we may encourage these transient visitors to stay. Can you imagine the delight of seeing a flock of these exuberant birds, tumbling and calling overhead? What an experience this would be.
Kākā | Nestor meridionalis