Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 12:52 
Better than a garden gnome. Photo: DuncanNew Zealand's unique parrots are believed to have evolved from a common ancestor of the Psittacidae parrots more than 80 million years ago.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 5:17 
NAUGHTY NEIGHBOUR: Researchers are looking for ways to manage conflict between birds, residents and business owners. Image by Duncan
Researchers hope a study of Wellington's kaka and feral pigeon populations will shed light on the sometimes tense relationship between people and wildlife in urban areas.
Nestor meridionalis - Kaka | in Urban parrots Monday, March 28, 2011 at 13:42 
Kaka in Fiordland are making a comeback after a 1080 drop by the Department of Conservation. Image by Allison BrownAn endangered population of kaka in Fiordland's Waitutu Forest has been boosted by a record breeding season following a pest control operation with 1080 poison.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 12:00 
Kaka were once abundant but, by 1930, were localised to a few areas.Threatened kaka have been killed by rat poison at the Pukaha Mt Bruce sanctuary.
Six kaka were found dead in the forest, where the native parrots had been seen "tampering" with bait stations, the Conservation Department said.
DOC's threats unit manager Jeff Flavell said the dead birds were found late last year, and toxicology results just back showed three had ingested the rat poison diphacinone.
There were about 100 kaka living in the 942-hectare forest, and some had been seen getting into the ground-based plastic distribution systems containing the cereal-pellets, which were laced with poison.
Nestor meridionalis - Kaka | in Poisoning Friday, February 12, 2010 at 10:53 
WHO'S A SQUAWKY BOY THEN? Kaka around Zealandia have a healthy squawk but it is their powerful beak that is making them unpopular with some residents. Photo: ZEALANDIA supplied to The Dominion Post Saved from the brink of extinction in Wellington, kaka could face a new threat from humans, with one city dweller threatening to kill them.
Zealandia conservation manager Raewyn Empson said a small number of people living near the Karori sanctuary had called with complaints about the rare parrots eating plums from their trees. One had called threatening to kill the endangered bird, which Ms Empson said was "very unwise", given that they were strictly protected.
However, most who called to report kaka sightings were thrilled to see them. Ms Empson said Wellington was the only city with a breeding population. "All indications are that the kaka are here to stay."
The birds tended to gather at dawn and squawk noisily, but Ms Empson said their song had not generated complaints – a far cry from 2008, when the sanctuary said people were ringing to complain about noisy tui, after an explosion in their numbers.
Nestor meridionalis - Kaka | in Conflict, Conservation, Urban parrots 
