More than 100,000 people have tuned in to watch ‘kākāpō cam’, which captures a rare flightless bird sleeping, tidying her nest and fighting off intruders
On an island in New Zealand’s remote southern fjords, one of the world’s strangest and rarest parrots – the kākāpō – is caring for her tiny chick as fans from across the globe watch on.
Through the black and white lens of a hidden camera, a fluffy orb with a kazoo-like squeak jostles for food from its mother’s beak. The mother, Rakiura, is attentive – scooping her chick under her large green wings, fending off an intruding bird, and periodically tidying her nest.
Since New Zealand’s Department of Conservation launched its live stream in mid-January, more than 100,000 people have tuned into watch Rakiura during breeding season.
In a chat forum attached to the live stream, fans monitor progress and comment on each moment with glee. Some congratulate the mother on her chicks, while others offer up name suggestions. Conservationists are pinning hopes on this being a record breeding year for the threatened bird – Rakiura has already had three chicks hatch.
