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Story: Extinctions

Decline in kākāpō population

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Decline in kākāpō population

During the later 20th century there was a relentless decline in the number of kākāpō, and there were no longer any left on New Zealand’s two main islands or on Stewart Island. The remaining small population (86 birds in 2006) lived on predator-free islands in southern New Zealand.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Department of Conservation

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How to cite this page

Richard Holdaway, Extinctions – New Zealand extinctions since human arrival, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/graph/13663/decline-in-kakapo-population (accessed 17 June 2026).

Story by Richard Holdaway, published 2 March 2009.