Makeshift egg repairs help survival of rare New Zealand parrot

Tape and a bit of glue have helped save the life of a hatchling chick of one of the world's rarest birds, New Zealand conservation officials said Monday. Department of Conservation (DOC) officials were dismayed last week when they found a crushed egg belonging to a female kakapo, the critically endangered New Zealand parrot, on Whenua Hou/ Codfish Island, off the bottom of the South Island. They feared the chick would not survive, but painstaking repairs using tape and glue ensured the chick stayed safe till it hatched on Friday, making it the first kakapo chick born since 2011, DOC kakapo recovery program manager Deidre Vercoe Scott said in a statement. "We only have five viable eggs on Whenua Hou and this one was the first laid. It was touch and go for a few days, but with the special care and expertise of our team, the dedication has paid off," she said. The chick, named Lisa One, was in an incubator and receiving round-the-clock attention, including regular feeding, weighing and checks, but its sex would not be determined for several weeks. The other four eggs were also in incubator care and were expected to hatch over the next few weeks. Lisa One's arrival had increased the total kakapo population to 125. The world's heaviest parrot, the kakapo is flightless, nocturnal and can live for decades, but its numbers have been decimated by hunting, habitat loss, and introduced predators such rats, cats and stoats.