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Teenage kaka go on the rampage

Spring has arrived early in Wellington. But whilst most native bird species at the city’s world-renowned Karori Sanctuary are busy building their nests, a gang of teenage kaka have other ideas…

Late last year, kaka living in Sanctuary hit the headlines when they were observed vandalising nest-boxes put out for smaller bush birds like the hihi (stitchbird). This year, the ‘neighbours from hell’ have turned into ‘terrible tenants’, vandalising their own nest boxes by tearing the doors off then gouging out chunks of wood with their beaks.

’24 of the 44 new kaka nest boxes we put out over the winter have been ripped apart’ said conservation officer Matt Robertson.

‘This is the kind of behaviour more often associated with the kea – the kaka’s alpine cousin. They are famous for pulling things apart. As far as I’m aware, this extent of destruction has never been observed among kaka. We are pretty certain the culprits are teenage kaka – juvenile birds that haven’t reached sexual maturity.’

Male kaka don’t start breeding until they are at least two years old, so around breeding season young males are at a loose end. This mischievous behaviour could well be an outlet for frustration or boredom. What is certain is that the behaviour is more widespread than last year, indicating that it is being learned.

‘They’re a typically inquisitive parrot’ said Mr Robertson. ‘Anything new appearing in the bush is a novelty and there to be investigated. It maybe that the challenge of taking doors of nest boxes is the kaka equivalent to the Rubik’s cube. These birds are highly intelligent and extremely resourceful. It’s hard enough for humans hands to get the doors off, so the fact that kaka have done it with just a beak and claws is pretty impressive!’

The vandalism is proving costly for the adult kaka who are peacefully trying to nest. At least one nest has already been abandoned due to the bad behaviour.

Background:

Kaka are acutely threatened due to loss of habitat and competition from introduced species. They disappeared from Wellington in the late 19th century when the forests were cleared. In 2002, Karori Sanctuary established the city’s first wild breeding population in over 100 years when 6 captive reared birds were released. Last year staff banded the 100th kaka hatched at the Sanctuary. They are a becoming a common sight in the city’s parks and gardens. However, Sanctuary staff encourage the birds to feed and nest within the safety of their unique pest-proof fence by providing nest boxes and supplementary food. This greatly minimizes the risk of predation from cats and stoats, which have decimated kaka numbers in unfenced forests.

Destructive behaviour is not uncommon among parrot species. The alpine kea from New Zealand’s South Island is famous (or infamous) for pulling apart ski equipment, car parts and anything else it can get its powerful beak into. In fact, it featured in David Attenborough’s The Life of Birds for its extreme intelligence and mischief. Unlike kea, however, kaka normally keep away from human settlement so their behaviour is less documented.

Kaka can fly great distances – recently a kaka banded in Karori Sanctuary was spotted 200km away in Waverley. And a new bird, probably from Kapiti Island, recently appeared in the Sanctuary.

Find out more about kaka in the Sanctuary

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