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Miami Herald

‘Booming' mating call heard for first time in over century on New Zealand island

Over the summer, on the North Island of New Zealand, 'booming' sounds echoed from the ancient forests surrounding Maungatautari Mountain. They were the mating calls of two critically endangered kākāpō, and they had not been heard on the mainland for over a century, wildlife officials said in a May 1 news release. According to experts, booming is part of the kākāpō's 'elaborate' mating ritual. The calls are low-frequency but powerful enough to be heard for miles, according to experts. These historic calls were produced by 11-year-old Taeatanga and 6-year-old Tautahi, two of three male kākāpō brought from the South Island to Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari in 2023 as part of the Kākāpō Recovery Programme, according to the release. Tāne Davis, a representative of the Ngāi Tahu tribal council, said the booming was a 'significant milestone' for everyone involved in protecting the kākāpō, according to the release. Davis said the booming is 'a clear sign' that the males 'are feeling at home and comfortable to exhibit their natural behaviour.' 'Males are known to practice their mating calls, even in non-breeding years and without the presence of females,' the Kākāpō Recovery Programme said in an April 30 Facebook post. Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari Cultural Advocate and Educator Bodie Taylor said they hope to welcome females to the sanctuary when the males are settled to help grow the population of the 'precious' kākāpō, according to the release. Officials said it is too early to confirm if the mountain will be an appropriate breeding site for the species. The three males were provided supplementary food over the last six months to help them settle into the new environment, so it's unclear if they would boom without this assistance, according to the release. Kākāpō Recovery Programme Operations Manager Deidre Vercoe said in the release that 'it will be many years before we know enough about this site and its future for kākāpō.' Vercoe said 'kākāpō booming would have been prolific throughout the country before the arrival of humans and mammalian predators,' according to the release. Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari is about a 115-mile drive southeast from Auckland.