The kākāpō - Reading Test Answers

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It is the world's only flightless parrot, and is also possibly one of the world's longest- living birds, with a reported lifespan of up to 100 years.

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Kākāpō breed in summer and autumn, but only in years when food is plentiful.

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Males play no part in incubation or chick-rearing - females alone incubate eggs and feed the chicks.

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Unfortunately, predation by feral cats on Rakiura Island led to a rapid decline in kākāpō numbers.

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This involved moving the birds between islands, supplementary feeding of adults and rescuing and hand-raising any failing chicks.6

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They are entirely vegetarian, with their diet including the leaves, roots and bark of trees as well as bulbs, and fern fronds

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The 1-4 eggs are laid in soil, which is repeatedly turned over before and during incubation.

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They ate its meat and used its feathers to make soft cloaks.

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A great deal of habitat was lost through forest clearance, and introduced species such as deer depleted the remaining forests of food.

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There were about 200 individuals, and in 1980 it was confirmed females were also present.

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In 1996, a new Recovery Plan was launched, together with a specialist advisory group called the Kākāpō Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee and a higher amount of funding.

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Its key goals are: minimise the loss of genetic diversity in the kākāpō population, restore or maintain sufficient habitat to accommodate the expected increase in the kākāpō population, and ensure stakeholders continue to be fully engaged in the preservation of the species.