New Zealand | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/new-zealand-1/RSS feed for New ZealandenThu, 17 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000New Zealand Welcomes a Record 90 Kakapo Chicks, Helping the World's Chunkiest Parrot Species Rebound From the Brink of Extinctionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-zealand-welcomes-a-record-90-kakapo-chicks-helping-the-worlds-chunkiest-parrot-species-rebound-from-the-brink-of-extinction-180989511/Annual chick counts aren't confirmed until the youngest hatchling reaches 150 days old, a benchmark for independence. The population now stands at 325 birds, up from the 51 individuals that remained in 1995Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-zealand-welcomes-a-record-90-kakapo-chicks-helping-the-worlds-chunkiest-parrot-species-rebound-from-the-brink-of-extinction-180989511/