Kakapo Rescue: Saving The World's Strangest Parrot

Emma Williams, Collection Development Specialist at Booksource

8/22/2012 9:20:33 AM
Kakapo are unique. Some would say strange, but this is probably because they are unfamiliar to most. Who's ever heard of a flightless, ground-nesting, gigantic (weighs up to 9 pounds), soft-feathered parrot that smells like honey? Millions of these friendly birds once inhabited New Zealand, but now a meager 86 live on the isolated Stewart Island off the southern coast. .Efforts are being made to increase this number by New Zealand's government. This is where the National Kakapo Recovery Team comes in. A group of dedicated rangers, scientists, and volunteers devote hours to monitoring the very existence of the Kakapo. Nic Bishop’s breathtaking photographs and Sy Montgomery’s wholehearted narration will make readers feel like they are part of the team. As a result, the team’s triumphs and letdowns as they try to increase Kakapo numbers are all the more poignant.



Kakapo Rescue is part of a wonderful series—Scientists In The Field. Bishop and Montgomery have also written The Tarantula Scientist and Quest for the Tree Kangaroo for this series. Most of the titles in this series have strong applications in the classroom for animal conservation.