New Zealand's rare flightless parrot begins breeding again

Only 236 of the rotund and regal-looking green parrots remain in three breeding populations on some of New Zealand's most remote southern islands. That includes 83 breeding age females, with high hopes this year could bring the most hatched chicks since records began. "It's always exciting when the breeding season officially begins, but this year it feels especially long-awaited after such a big gap since the last season in 2022," said Deidre Vercoe, the Department of Conservation's kakapo recovery operations manager.