Why are kakapo extinct?

Answer 1

Māori settlers from Polynesia hunted the Kakapo for food and for their skins and feathers, which were made into luxurious capes.[47] They used the dried heads as ear ornaments. Due to its flightlessness, strong scent and habit of freezing when threatened, the Kakapo were easy prey for the Māori and their dogs. Their eggs and chicks were also predated by the Polynesian Rat or kiore, which the Māori brought to New Zealand

Answer 2

Kakapo are not yet extinct, but they are critically endangered. Endemic to New Zealand, it is extinct from the mainland, with the remaining bird populations having been moved to southern offshore islands.

Prior to European settlement, there were no native predators of the kakapo in New Zealand. They are particularly subject to predation by stoats and feral cats, both of which have been introduced. Feral cats have virtually decimated the poulation on Stewart Island. Also, when the Polynesians arrived, the kiore, or Polynesian rat, was introduced into the kakapo's habitat, whereupon they began to feast on the kakapo's eggs. The Polynesians themselves raided nests and ate eggs, and they used the kakapo as a source of food for the new human population as, being flightless, they were easy to catch. The feathers from the kakapos were also valued. With the arrival of new people from Europe, the situation became worse with more rats, imported cats and stoats, and more hunting by the new residents of the birds for food.

To add to the difficulties, the Kakapo have long breeding cycles, of approximately 3 years, so population growth is not sufficient to replace the birds lost to predation by other species. As well the berries they eat during breeding seasons apparently suffered a down turn too, and the quantity of berries became insufficient to sustain the breeding populations as needed. Introduced plant species took over the kakapo's habitat, pushing out the kakapo's native foods. Land clearing by Europeans exacerbated the situation.

Answer 3

Kakapo are critically endangered, and extinct on New Zealand's mainland, where they were once plentiful.

Prior to settlement by the Polynesians first, then the Europeans, there were no native predators of the kakapo in New Zealand. It could be said that the introduction of non-native predators has had the greatest impact on kakapo numbers. They are particularly subject to predation by stoats and feral cats, both of which have been introduced. Feral cats have virtually decimated the poulation on Stewart Island. Also, when the Polynesians arrived, the kiore, or Polynesian rat, was introduced into the kakapo's habitat, whereupon they began to feast on the kakapo's eggs. The Polynesians themselves raided nests and ate eggs, and they used the kakapo as a source of food for the new human population as, being flightless, they were easy to catch. The feathers from the kakapos were also valued. With the arrival of new people from Europe, the situation became worse with more rats, imported cats and stoats, and more hunting by the new residents of the birds for food.

Answer 4

Kakapo are not yet extinct. Their numbers are greatly reduced to the point where they are critically endangered. The main reason for this is the introduction of non-native predators in New Zealand. Feral cats are the main threat to kakapo while kiore, or Polynesian rats, eat the eggs and young chicks. The other main reason is that these birds were hunted when people started to populate the islands: first the Maori, then the white settlers. Kakapo weere considered to be very tasty and, being flightless parrots, they were easy to catch.

Answer 5

Not yet. Kakapo, flightless parrots which are native to New Zealand, are critically endangered. Sources vary, but numbers seem to be around 124 birds.