🟢🧡The kākāriki karaka (orange-fronted parakeet) may not have won Bird of the Year — but they’ve won something far more important: new friends, fresh awareness, and more people who now know their story.
These taonga are still facing tough times in the wild, and every bit of ...support helps. By sharing their journey, you’ve helped shine a light on one of Aotearoa’s rarest birds.
A huge mihi to everyone who got behind the campaign. Special thanks to:
📸 Sean McGrath @aptenodytes42
🎨 Steffi Künstle (our biosecurity ranger, and the creator of this wonderful artwork)
🖍️ @sarahmaylittle
🐦 @birdnerdity
The fight for the kākāriki karaka continues — and they’re lucky to have you in their corner. 💚🧡
#KākārikiKaraka #BirdOfTheYear #Conservation #BrookSanctuary
🟢🧡The kākāriki karaka (orange-fronted parakeet) may not have won Bird of the Year — but they’ve won something far more important: new friends, fresh awareness, and more people who now know their story.
These taonga are still facing tough times in the wild, and every bit of ...support helps. By sharing their journey, you’ve helped shine a light on one of Aotearoa’s rarest birds.
A huge mihi to everyone who got behind the campaign. Special thanks to:
📸 Sean McGrath www.seanmcgrath.nz
🎨 Steffi Künstle (our biosecurity ranger, and the creator of this wonderful artwork)
🖍️ Sarah May Little Sarah Maybe Little- Illustration
🐦 Birdnedity (Instagram)
The fight for the kākāriki karaka continues — and they’re lucky to have you in their corner. 💚🧡
#KākārikiKaraka #BirdOfTheYear #Conservation #BrookSanctuary
🌿 One more week of school holiday fun! 🌿
There’s still time to join our Kākāriki Karaka Scavenger Hunt at the Sanctuary. 🟢🧡
🔎 Hunt for hidden letters along the Loop Track
🍫 Claim a Whittaker’s chocolate + a special certificate
🎁 Go in the draw to... win a cuddly kākāriki karaka soft toy
📅 Runs until Sunday 5 October
⏰ Open Tues–Sun (closed Monday)
👧🧒 Kids go free!
Don’t miss out — bring the whānau, explore the ngahere, and celebrate one of Aotearoa’s rarest taonga species. 💚
👉 Plan your visit: https://www.brooksanctuary.org.nz/lots-to-see-and-do
#BrookSanctuary #BirdOfTheYear #KākārikiKaraka #FamilyAdventure
🌿🟠 How Close Are We to Saving the Kākāriki Karaka — and How Can You Help? 🟠🌿
Kākāriki karaka (orange-fronted parakeet) are still one of Aotearoa’s rarest birds, with only a few hundred left in the wild. But thanks to predator control, captive breeding, and ...translocations into safe havens like the Sanctuary, the population is slowly climbing.
✔️ Intensive predator control
✔️ Safe forest sanctuaries
✔️ Captive breeding & release programmes
✔️ Ongoing monitoring & research
Every chick counts, every patch of beech forest matters, and every supporter helps keep this taonga species alive.
💚 By voting kākāriki karaka in Bird of the Year, you’re backing a recovery story that needs all of us.
👉 Voting is open now! — With your help, we can get Aotearoa's rarest parakeet into the Bird of the Year top 10 [link in our bio]
Photography by @aptenodytes42 Sean McGrath
#KākārikiKaraka #BirdOfTheYear #BOTY2025 #BrookSanctuary
🌿🟠 How Close Are We to Saving the Kākāriki Karaka — and How Can You Help? 🟠🌿
Kākāriki karaka (orange-fronted parakeet) are still one of Aotearoa’s rarest birds, with only a few hundred left in the wild. But thanks to predator control, captive breeding, and ...translocations into safe havens like the Sanctuary, the population is slowly climbing.
✔️ Intensive predator control
✔️ Safe forest sanctuaries
✔️ Captive breeding & release programmes
✔️ Ongoing monitoring & research
Every chick counts, every patch of beech forest matters, and every supporter helps keep this taonga species alive.
💚 By voting kākāriki karaka in Bird of the Year, you’re backing a recovery story that needs all of us.
👉 Voting is open now! — add your voice for the rarest parakeet. https://www.brooksanctuary.org.nz/bird-of-the-year-2025
Photographer credit: more brilliant photos from Sean McGrath
#KākārikiKaraka #BirdOfTheYear #BOTY2025 #BrookSanctuary
🌿✨ Ngahere Neighbourhood: kopakopa (kidney fern)
Delicate yet resilient, the kopakopa (Hymenophyllum nephrophyllum) carpets damp forest floors across Aotearoa. Its fronds are thin as silk — only a few cells thick — giving them a beautiful translucent glow when the light filters ...through the ngahere.
In dry weather, kopakopa shrivels and curls tightly to protect itself, unfurling again when rain returns. This remarkable adaptation is reflected in its Māori name, meaning “to wrap or clasp.” It is also known as raurenga and konehu.
Kopakopa often grows in lush mats along banks, rocks, fallen trees, and even the trunks of living trees — creating miniature green landscapes within the forest.
🌧️ Next time you’re walking the Sanctuary tracks after rain, take a closer look at the forest floor — you might just spot these tiny jewels unfurling again.
#NgahereNeighbourhood #BrookSanctuary #KidneyFern #FilmyFern #SanctuaryStories
🌿✨ Ngahere Neighbourhood: kopakopa (kidney fern)
Delicate yet resilient, the kopakopa (Hymenophyllum nephrophyllum) carpets damp forest floors across Aotearoa. Its fronds are thin as silk — only a few cells thick — giving them a beautiful translucent glow when the light filters ...through the ngahere.
In dry weather, kopakopa shrivels and curls tightly to protect itself, unfurling again when rain returns. This remarkable adaptation is reflected in its Māori name, meaning “to wrap or clasp.” It is also known as raurenga and konehu.
Kopakopa often grows in lush mats along banks, rocks, fallen trees, and even the trunks of living trees — creating miniature green landscapes within the forest.
🌧️ Next time you’re walking the Sanctuary tracks after rain, take a closer look at the forest floor — you might just spot these tiny jewels unfurling again.
#NgahereNeighbourhood #BrookSanctuary #KidneyFern #FilmyFern #SanctuaryStories
🌿 School Holiday Adventure: Kākāriki Karaka Scavenger Hunt! 🌿
These school holidays, bring the tamariki to the Sanctuary for a special scavenger hunt celebrating one of Aotearoa’s rarest birds – the kākāriki karaka (orange-fronted parakeet). 🟢🧡
🔎 Follow the ...Loop Track to discover hidden letters.that spell the winning code word
🍫 Every child who completes the code word wins a Whittaker’s Tweats chocolate + a special certificate.
🎁 Plus, go in the draw to win a cuddly kākāriki karaka soft toy at the end of the holidays!
📅 Sat 20 Sept – Sun 5 Oct
⏰ Open Tues–Sun (closed Mon)
👧🧒 Kids go free!
Bring the whānau, enjoy the ngahere, and help us share the story of this taonga species. 💚
#BrookSanctuary #BirdOfTheYear #KākārikiKaraka #FamilyAdventure
🟢💛 Learn the story of the kākāriki karaka (orange-fronted parakeet) through art 🎨🦜
We’re excited to share this beautiful cartoon series by local artist @sarahmaylittle — bringing to life the journey of one of Aotearoa’s rarest taonga species.
From spotting the ...differences between parakeet species, to where kākāriki karaka live, to the threats they face from introduced predators — these illustrations tell the story of why they became endangered, and why their survival matters.
Every image is a reminder that predator-free forests give species like kākāriki karaka the chance to thrive once more. 🌿
👉 Swipe through the carousel to explore the full story.
🗳 Don't forget to vote for kākāriki karaka in the @forestandbird - Bird of the year competition
📸 Cartoons by @sarahmaylittle
#KākārikiKaraka #BirdOfTheYear #PredatorFreeNZ #Conservation #BrookSanctuary
🟢💛 Learn the story of the kākāriki karaka (orange-fronted parakeet) through art 🎨🦜
We’re excited to share this beautiful cartoon series by local artist Sarah Maybe Little- Illustration — bringing to life the journey of one of Aotearoa’s rarest taonga species.
...From spotting the differences between parakeet species, to where kākāriki karaka live, to the threats they face from introduced predators — these illustrations tell the story of why they became endangered, and why their survival matters.
Every image is a reminder that predator-free forests give species like kākāriki karaka the chance to thrive once more. 🌿
👉 Swipe through the carousel to explore the full story
🗳 Don't forget to vote for kākāriki karaka in the Forrest and Bird - Bird of the year competition
📸 Cartoons by Sarah Maybe Little- Illustration
#KākārikiKaraka #BirdOfTheYear #PredatorFreeNZ #Conservation #BrookSanctuary
🦜 FLOYD: THE SAGA CONTINUES 🦜🔥
From shy release star… to “missing in action”… to unlikely lover… to comeback king.
If you’ve followed Floyd’s wild ride since December 2021, you’ll know he’s no ordinary kākāriki karaka:
✨ ...𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏 — While his mates bolted, Floyd lingered in the aviary for two whole hours. Was he shy… or just a diva?
✨ 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 — Disaster? Only his transmitter and feathers were found. The rumour mill went into overdrive: had Floyd vanished forever?
✨ 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 — Plot twist! Floyd re-emerged, feeding his new love at a nest. Our hearts soared 💘… until a brutal storm flooded their nest. 💔
✨ 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 — Media fame! Floyd’s name revealed: a nod to his first failed captive pairing with “Pink”… making him half of the one and only Pink Floyd. 🎸
And now… after more than 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐫… 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐘𝐃 𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊. Alive, thriving, and possibly the secret patriarch of a whole hidden generation of chicks.
From heartbreak to hope, Floyd’s tale is no less than a forest soap opera.
Stay tuned. The canopy drama isn’t over yet. 🌳🦜✨
𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: 𝐀 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐤ā𝐤ā𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐢 𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐝!
𝐡𝐭𝐭𝐩𝐬://𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐝𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫.𝐨𝐫𝐠.𝐧𝐳/
Photo taken by Sean McGrath
#FloydLives #KākārikiMystery #KakarikiForBirdOfTheYear #PestFencesWork
🟠🌿✨ Voting is OPEN! ✨🌿🟠
It’s here — Bird of the Year 2025 has begun! We’re backing the kākāriki karaka (orange-fronted parakeet), one of Aotearoa’s most precious taonga species.
Once found across the motu, kākāriki karaka now survive only in small, ...fragile populations. They are taonga because they carry the mauri (life force) of our beech forests — feeding on seeds, flowers, and insects, and spreading the ngahere’s abundance as they move. Their survival is woven into the health of the forest itself.
Less than a few hundred remain in the wild, but thanks to translocations, captive breeding, and predator-free sanctuaries like ours, there is hope.
💚 Cast your vote for the kākāriki karaka — the rarest parakeet with the biggest fight.
💚 Share this post to spread the word.
👉 Vote: Link in our bio
👉 Search for kākāriki karaka and click “click here to vote for me”
Together, we can give this taonga a future.
Photography by Sean McGrath
#KākārikiKaraka #BirdOfTheYear #BOTY2025 #BrookSanctuary
