The circle of life: Meet the returning kākācam star

Back in 2015, one of the Council’s Park Rangers started an initiative called the kākācam, which showed a livestream of a kākā nest in one of Wellington’s reserves. This kākācam allowed staff to monitor how a mother and her chicks were developing. 

Thousands of people from around the world tuned in to watch the fluffy chicks grow, and it became a social media sensation.  

Fast forward to 2025, and an amazing discovery was made by local photographer Tony Stoddard when he was out on a photoshoot at Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush.  

Tony was keeping a close watch on a mother kākā at an active nest in an old hinau tree. He got photos of the bands she was wearing, and passed the information on to the team at Ōtari, who then worked with colleagues at Zealandia. Together, they were able to figure out that this kākā was actually one of the original chicks from the kākācam livestream a whole decade earlier.  

Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush Manager Tim Park says that banding is important to keep track of movement across the city. 

“We are really lucky in Pōneke to have the largest wild population of kākā in the world. This is pretty phenomenal! Only a small proportion of kākā are banded as many nests aren't monitored. We are very fortunate that the bird Tony photographed happened to be one of the YouTube stars that were banded back in 2015.” 

Even better, this grown-up chick is now a mother herself, and is nesting with her own chicks at Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush.
 
Tim is incredibly proud to be able to see this full circle moment. 
 
“It's amazing that this project I was involved in almost a decade ago has come back to me, it's a really lovely surprise! This wouldn't be possible without the massive volunteer trapping effort and the investment the Council has put into pest control in Ōtari-Wilton's Bush and other Council reserves to make them safe for kākā to thrive.

"It's really cool that kākā have been successfully nesting outside Zealandia in Council reserves for multiple generations and we have the data to prove it.”  

This incredible story of connection and conservation is a testament to how protecting and celebrating our wildlife today can bring amazing moments in the future.