Artificial insemination helps endangered parrots breed again after near extinction
As global bird populations face a severe crisis, a new conservation effort in New Zealand has brought a glimmer of hope. According to a 2024 study, over 1,300 bird species are expected to go extinct in the next 200 years due to habitat destruction, climate change, and invasive predators.
Among the most endangered is the Kākāpō, a large, flightless parrot native to New Zealand. But now, a team of researchers has made a significant breakthrough using advanced artificial insemination techniques to increase the species' chances of survival.
A group comprising conservationists, zoologists, and veterinary medicine experts from Justus Liebig University Giessen in Germany, and the Department of Conservation, Kākāpō Recovery, and the University of Otago in New Zealand, successfully bred wild Kākāpō using an improved method of artificial insemination.
The Kākāpō is the world's largest parrot and one of the few that cannot fly. These birds once thrived across New Zealand. But since the arrival of Europeans and the invasive species they brought, like rats, weasels, and stoats, the Kākāpō population has plummeted.
With fewer than 250 individuals alive today, every chick matters.
Kākāpō are also naturally slow breeders. They follow a rare lek-breeding system, where males dig bowl-shaped holes and call loudly into them.
The calls echo across valleys to attract females. But modern threats, including predation and limited gene pools, have disrupted the species' already fragile reproductive process.
Efforts to help the Kākāpō reproduce artificially began in 2009. Until now, success remained limited due to poor semen quality and high embryo mortality. In their latest attempt, researchers introduced a more assertive artificial insemination method.
The team used a new semen-collection technique that combines abdominal massage with electric stimulation. They collected semen from 20 male Kākāpō and screened it for quality. They then selected the best samples to inseminate 12 females.
This method significantly improved success rates. Fertility rose from 29.4% in the first clutch to 70% in the second. Four chicks born during the breeding season were confirmed to be the direct result of the artificial insemination.
The success marks a hopeful turn in a long conservation battle. 'We're encouraged by the results,' said the team in their published study. 'This method offers a viable way to increase fertility in endangered birds like the Kākāpō.'
Scientists plan to refine the technique and repeat it in the next breeding season. If successful, it could become a standard tool in global avian conservation.
While Kākāpō numbers have increased, survival remains uncertain without human intervention. The recent breakthrough shows that targeted reproductive assistance can make a difference, even for species on the brink.
As threats to bird biodiversity grow worldwide, methods like this could play a critical role in reversing extinction trends.
Their findings are published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.
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