Alison Ballance

Alison Ballance

@ali-ballance.bsky.social

NZ nature writer. Broadcaster. Maker of the Kākāpō Files podcast at RNZ. Author of books on Kākāpō, Takahē and NZ’s Great White Sharks.

96 followers16 following18 posts

Alison Ballance
@ali-ballance.bsky.social

For those kākāpō fans not in Aotearoa, NZ has just confirmed its first case of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu. Makes the vaccination programme for a quarter of the kākāpō population even more important. Listen to vet Lydia in ep 19 of Kākāpō Files

Alison Ballance@ali-ballance.bsky.social

The Kākāpō Files is back today with ep 19: includes chick updates (the first chicks are independent!), DOC's programme to vaccinate kākāpō against H5N1 bird flu, and listener questions, including are kākāpō cuddly. #kakapo #birds #conservation @digs.bsky.social www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/kaka...

rnz.co.nzKākāpō Goings On episode of Kākāpō Files IIThe oldest chick of the 2026 kākāpō breeding season, Tiwhiri-A1 has reached 150 days old and can be officially counted. This milestone increases the kākāpō population by one bird to 236, the first tim...
Alison Ballance
@ali-ballance.bsky.social

The Kākāpō Files is back today with ep 19: includes chick updates (the first chicks are independent!), DOC's programme to vaccinate kākāpō against H5N1 bird flu, and listener questions, including are kākāpō cuddly. #kakapo #birds #conservation @digs.bsky.social www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/kaka...

rnz.co.nzKākāpō Goings On episode of Kākāpō Files IIThe oldest chick of the 2026 kākāpō breeding season, Tiwhiri-A1 has reached 150 days old and can be officially counted. This milestone increases the kākāpō population by one bird to 236, the first tim...
Alison Ballance
@ali-ballance.bsky.social

I did a story on H5N1 HPAI for RNZ last year www.rnz.co.nz/news/science...

rnz.co.nzOur Changing World: Getting ready for H5N1 bird fluThis article has been updated to clarify that this particular *pandemic* only started in 2020, although bird flu has been lurking for much longer.
Alison Ballance@ali-ballance.bsky.social

The suspected case of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Western Australia is very alarming news. Not clear yet exactly what species of migratory bird is involved Suspected detection of H5 strain of bird flu in WA, which would mark first detection in Australia www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/6...

rnz.co.nzSuspected detection of H5 strain of bird flu in WA, which would mark first detection in AustraliaThe first suspected case of a deadly strain of bird flu that has killed millions of birds and mammals worldwide has been found in Western Australia, the federal government has confirmed.
Alison Ballance
@ali-ballance.bsky.social

The suspected case of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Western Australia is very alarming news. Not clear yet exactly what species of migratory bird is involved Suspected detection of H5 strain of bird flu in WA, which would mark first detection in Australia www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/6...

rnz.co.nzSuspected detection of H5 strain of bird flu in WA, which would mark first detection in AustraliaThe first suspected case of a deadly strain of bird flu that has killed millions of birds and mammals worldwide has been found in Western Australia, the federal government has confirmed.
Alison Ballance
@ali-ballance.bsky.social

Kākāpō Files is back with the latest midwinter news from the kākāpō islands (91 living chicks, all fledged!). And answers to listener questions: are kākāpō smart? Why did Rakiura spend so much time digging? And more … #kakapo #birds #conservation @digs.bsky.social www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/wild...

rnz.co.nzKākāpō Files II 18 | Good Kākāpō Things Take Time episode of Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files IISix months after this record-breaking kākāpō breeding season began, all 91 living chicks have fledged and left the nest. The chicks remain with their kākāpō mums and are still being fed by them, as we...
Alison Ballance
@ali-ballance.bsky.social

The latest kākāpō news: 92 living chicks, and half of them have fledged (left the nest). Plus, we have profiles on the 9 kākāpō that can be symbolically adopted #kakapo #birds #conservation www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/kaka...

rnz.co.nzKākāpō Adoption Birds episode of Kākāpō Files IIHalf of the chicks from this record-breaking kākāpō breeding season have fledged and left their nests for good, but are still being fed by their mums. The tally of living chicks has dropped to 92 with...

Alison Ballance reposted

Andrew Digby
@digs.bsky.social

Listen to the Kākāpō Files podcast to learn more about this year's record #kakapo breeding season, including the details of Rimu's cliff-top nest. #kakapo #kakapo2026 #conservation @ali-ballance.bsky.social

Alison Ballance@ali-ballance.bsky.social

The mystery of Rimu's inaccessible cliff-top nest on Te Kakahu / Chalky Island has been solved! All is revealed in ep. 16 of the Kākāpō Files podcast. @kakapo @birds @conservation @digs.bsky.social www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/wild...

rnz.co.nzKākāpō Files II 16 | Kākāpō Chicks Growing Up episode of Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files IIThe tally of confirmed living kākāpō chicks goes down with two further deaths, but gets a welcome boost with the confirmation of a living chick in a previously inaccessible nest. This brings the numbe...

Alison Ballance reposted

blacklightnz.bsky.social
@blacklightnz.bsky.social

Seems like a great thing to listen to on Sire David Attenborough’s 100th birthday. What an inspirational human - I hope he is having an utterly wonderful day!

Alison Ballance@ali-ballance.bsky.social

The mystery of Rimu's inaccessible cliff-top nest on Te Kakahu / Chalky Island has been solved! All is revealed in ep. 16 of the Kākāpō Files podcast. @kakapo @birds @conservation @digs.bsky.social www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/wild...

rnz.co.nzKākāpō Files II 16 | Kākāpō Chicks Growing Up episode of Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files IIThe tally of confirmed living kākāpō chicks goes down with two further deaths, but gets a welcome boost with the confirmation of a living chick in a previously inaccessible nest. This brings the numbe...
Alison Ballance
@ali-ballance.bsky.social

The mystery of Rimu's inaccessible cliff-top nest on Te Kakahu / Chalky Island has been solved! All is revealed in ep. 16 of the Kākāpō Files podcast. @kakapo @birds @conservation @digs.bsky.social www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/wild...

rnz.co.nzKākāpō Files II 16 | Kākāpō Chicks Growing Up episode of Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files IIThe tally of confirmed living kākāpō chicks goes down with two further deaths, but gets a welcome boost with the confirmation of a living chick in a previously inaccessible nest. This brings the numbe...
Alison Ballance
@ali-ballance.bsky.social

Kākāpō action this week is about the chicks - all 94 of them. I've just spent a week on Whenua Hou, recording with kākāpō rangers as they work day and night to ensure the chicks survive and thrive. #kakapo #birds #conservation @digs.bsky.social www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/wild...

rnz.co.nzKākāpō Files II 15 | Kākāpō Island Diary episode of Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files IIAlison Ballance spends a week on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, one of three kākāpō breeding islands. She follows rangers from DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme as they go about their daily and nightly nest...
Alison Ballance
@ali-ballance.bsky.social

You won't find many kākāpō Easter eggs in the latest episode of the, Kākāpō Files ... because they've all hatched! And by every measure, this is now officially the biggest breeding season on record. #kakapo #conservation #birds www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/kaka...

rnz.co.nzBiggest Kākāpō Breeding Season episode of Kākāpō Files IIDOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme says that the 2026 kākāpō breeding season is officially the biggest on record, and that all chicks have now hatched. At least 256 eggs were laid in 80 nests, of which a...
Alison Ballance
@ali-ballance.bsky.social

Babies! The number of kākāpō babies is growing rapidly - the 2026 kākāpō breeding season is shaping up to be a stunner #kākāpō #birds #parrots #conservation #nature @digs.bsky.social www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/wild...

rnz.co.nzKākāpō Files II 11 | Kākāpō Baby Boom episode of Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files IIFourteen kākāpō chicks have hatched in wild nests, where they are being cared for by mums and foster mums. More than a hundred viable fertile eggs have already been laid, with more expected in the nex...

Alison Ballance reposted

Andrew Digby
@digs.bsky.social

Yesterday we found juvenile female #kakapo Ongaonga on a nest on Pukenui/Anchor Island. At just under 4 years old (her hatch day is 12th Feb), she's the youngest female ever recorded nesting. Today we also found Matilda nesting - she's just 2 days older. #kakapo2026 #conservation #birds

Alison Ballance reposted

Thylacine Clone 🇦🇺
@thylacine-clone.bsky.social

Excellent. @ali-ballance.bsky.social Alison Ballance has joined us on Bluesky. If you are interested in #Kakapo then this is a must follow account & dont forget to tune in for weekly Kakapo files

Alison Ballance@ali-ballance.bsky.social

It's Kākāpō Files day. It's Peak Breeding and 101 Eggs already. Take a listen ... #kakapo #birds #conservation www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/kaka...

rnz.co.nzPeak Breeding episode of Kākāpō Files IIMore than three-quarters of female kākāpō of breeding age have mated so far, and the number of nests is growing rapidly. Kākāpō operations manager Deidre Vercoe tells Alison Ballance that 101 eggs hav...
Alison Ballance
@ali-ballance.bsky.social

If you haven't caught up with season 2 of the Kākāpō Files podcast, why not start at episode 1 #kakapo #birds #conservation #Aotearoa @digs.bsky.social

rnz.co.nzKākāpō Files II 01 | The Birds are Back episode of Wild Sounds: Kākāpō Files IIThe Kākāpō Files returns for a second season, to follow everyone’s favourite parrot through what is predicted to be the biggest breeding season on record. In episode 1, host Alison Ballance and Our Changing World’s Claire Concannon chat about what exactly is a kākāpō, discuss the conservation history of this endangered bird through the life story of two kākāpō, and discover just how big this breeding season might be.

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