Huge success as 6 threatened kakariki chicks fledge the nest!

In recent weeks our dedicated team of zoo keepers have been working hard to ensure our resident pair of yellow-crowned parakeets have everything they need to rear their chicks! We are proud to announce that we have 6 healthy chicks, fully fledged and exploring their enclosure alongside their parents!

Battersea park children's zoo is currently the only zoo in the UK that has this species of parakeet on display. This small, chatty forest-dwelling species is listed by the IUCN as near threatened in the wild due to agricultural practices, logging and predation by invasive species. Our keepers have been keeping a close eye on our female kakariki as she incubated her eggs and then reared her lively chicks until they began to leave the nest and test out their own flying skills on the 8th January 2020!

Our keepers are currently the only animal team in the country breeding these birds in an attempt to kick start a breeding programme in the UK that will aid in their conservation and to educate our visitors on this characterful bird. They are by far one of the chattiest animals at the zoo and famously very messy eaters! Each day our keepers provide them with a variety of healthy seeds, leaves, fruits and vegetables! They even enjoy eggs and insects from time to time too! 

We look forward to welcoming you to Battersea park children's zoo soon and hope you will enjoy learning a bit more about our Kakariki!