Record breeding for the world's heaviest parrot

Many new baby birds help the population grow to 325.

Published 1 September 2026 116 words
WORLD A1
Record breeding for the world's heaviest parrot

Good news for the kākāpō! This is a very big parrot from New Zealand. It is the heaviest parrot in the world. Now, there are more kākāpō than before. This is because of a good breeding season.

Many young birds, called chicks, were born. There are 90 new chicks! Now, there are 325 kākāpō in total. This is the most kākāpō in 75 years. This happened because a native tree had many berries.

The kākāpō is a very special bird. It is endangered, which means there are not many of them. They are also the only parrot that is awake at night and cannot fly. Conservation workers are happy to see so many new birds.

Vocabulary

population — All the animals of one kind that live in a particular place.
breeding season — The time of year when animals have babies.
endangered — Animals that are in danger of dying out and not existing anymore.
native tree — A plant that grows naturally in a place.
conservation workers — People who protect plants and animals.

Discussion Questions

  1. What is special about the kākāpō parrot?
  2. Why was this a good breeding season for the kākāpō?
  3. How many kākāpō are there now?

Based on an article from The Guardian.

Read the original article