Birds

In 2018 the kākāpō became the first species in the world to have every individual's genome sequenced. How is the information being used today to help conservation? Video

Claire Concannon and Dr Andrew Digby talk about all things kākāpō: that habitat trial and where the birds are now, the next breeding season, and Andrew’s hopes for the future of this iconic manu.   Audio

It's been one year since kākāpō returned to mainland Aotearoa at the fenced Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari.

Claire Concannon finds out what mischief they've been up to, and what's next for the… Audio

New research has shown just how adept birds are at adapting to their environment. Audio

Journalist Rebekah White meets two people who have been counting albatrosses on remote islands in the subantarctic for more than three decades. Their research shows that at least one species is en… Video, Audio

The Bounty Islands are tiny in terms of area – just some bits of granite jutting out of the ocean. But they are huge in terms of seabirds. James Frankham joins a team researching the erect-crested… Audio

Erect-crested penguins lead largely unknown lives on some of New Zealand's most remote subantarctic islands. A research team travels south to unlock this enigmatic species' secrets. Audio

Kuaka bar-tailed godwits make the longest non-stop flights, and researchers are using hi-tech tags to solve the mystery of how and when they sleep.  Audio

Kuaka godwits make the longest non-stop flights, and researchers are using hi-tech tags to solve the mystery of how and when they sleep.  Audio

A distinctive booming sound is returning to the Wairarapa Moana. Most of the surrounding wetlands have been lost after land was drained for farming. Now, after years of rehabilitation work, more of… Video, Audio

Northland's sick and beleagured birds may have to find somewhere else nest and recovery, unless a well known local charity lands a cash injection and soon. Each year, the Whangarei bird recovery… Audio

It's feared there may have been a mass poisoning of birds at a reserve on Auckland's North Shore. Up to 100 pigeons, ducks, sparrows and pukeko were found in varying stages of paralysis at Sherwood… Video, Audio

Should we intervene to prevent hybridisation between an endangered species and its common relative? In this week's summer science episode, two students from the Department of Science Communication at… Audio

The summer science fun continues with an episode from RNZ podcast Voices. Meet Gaia Dell'Arriccia, a scientist originally from the south of France who studies the seabirds that live around Auckland's… Audio

Kākā numbers are skyrocketing in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington thanks to conservation efforts. The summer science series continues with a walk through Zealandia to find out why you shouldn't feed… Audio

By Ellen Rykers: The bittern’s eerie, booming call sounds like a lament, a tangi ringing across the marshes. Now, the birds themselves are in trouble Audio

Mohua are bright yellow forest birds – but despite their eye-catching plumage, they can be tricky to spot flitting high in the forest canopy. Claire Concannon visits the Makarora mohua population… Audio

Mohua yellowheads were once common in Aotearoa forests, but bush clearance and introduced predators mean they're now rare in the ngahere. Claire Concannon meets a team of scientists and… Audio

In the ever-shifting streams and channels of a braided river, creatures must adapt to change. Claire Concannon joins a researcher on the spectacular Cass River near Tekapo for a spot of electrofishing… Video, Audio