Boj o záchranu jednoho z nejvzácnějších a nejunikátnějších ptačích druhů – Kakapa sovího (Strigops habroptilus) – trvá už několik desítek let. Veškeré snahy dlouhou dobu selhávaly, než vědci odhalili, jak úzce záhadné rozmnožování tohoto druhu souvisí s jeho výživou. Od roku 2000 se tak podařilo populaci více než zdvojnásobit. Za zachráněný však druh bude považován až ve chvíli, kdy dokáže přežít a rozmnožovat se bez pomoci člověka. Záchrana kakapa sovího je běh na dlouhou trať, čím víc ale o jeho biologii víme, tím větší máme naději, že se to podaří.

Citovaná literatura:
Beneš, J., 2002: Vyhynutím ohrožení ptáci Nového Zélandu. Živa, 5: 227-228.
BirdLife International 2009. Strigops habroptila. In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>
Clout, M. N., Elliot, G. P., Robertson, B. C., 2002: Effects of supplementary feeding on the offspring sex ratio of kakapo: a dilemma for the conservation of a polygynous parrot. Biological Conservation, 107(1): 13-18.
de Kloet, R. S., de Kloet, S. R., 2005: The evolution of the spindlin gene in birds: Sequence analysis of an intron of the spindlin W and Z gene reveals four major divisions of the Psittaciformes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 36: 706-721.
Dover, M., 2006: Massage Technique for the Birds. Wildlife Conservation, 109: 22.
Edmunds, K., Bunbury, N., Sawmy, S., Jones, C. G., Bell, D. J., 2008: Restoring avian island endemics: use of supplementary food by the endangered Pink Pigeon (Columba mayeri). Emu, 108(1): 74-80.
Elliot, G. P., Merton, D. V., Jansen, P. W., 2001: Intensive management of a critically endangered species: the kakapo. Biological Conservation, 99(1): 121-133.
Fidler, A. E., Lawrence, S. B., McNatty, K. P., 2008: An hypothesis to explain the linkage between kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) breeding and the mast fruiting of their food trees. Wildlife Research, 35(1): 1-7.
Gartrell, B. D., Alley, M. R., Mack, H., Donald, J., McInnes, K., Jansen, P., 2005: Erysipelas in the critically endangered kakapo (Strigops habroptilus). Avian Patology, 34(5): 383-387.
Grant-Mackie, E. J., Grant-Mackie, J. A., Boon, W. M., Chambers, G. K., 2003: Evolution of New Zeland Parrots. New Zeland Science Teacher, 103: 14-17.
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Lloyd, B. D., Powlesland, R. G., 1994: The decline of kakapo Strigops habroptilus and attempts at conservation by translocation. Biological Conservation, 69(1): 75-85.
Lloyd, B. D., Powlesland, R. G., 1994: Use of supplementary feeding to induce breeding in free-living kakapo Strigops habroptilus in New Zealand. Biological Conservation, 69(1):
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Milius, S., 2006: Dieting to Save Species. Science News, 169.
New Scientist, 2008: How to make a big-boned bird breed. New Scientist, 199(2673).
New Scientist, 2008: How bumper harvest get endangered parrots laying. New Scientist, (2650).
Oryx, 2008: Al to boost kakapo breeding success. Oryx, 42: 324.
Powlesland, R. G., Lloyd, B. D., Best, H. A., Merton, D. V., 1992: Breeding biology of the Kakapo Strigops habroptilus on Stewart Island, New Zealand. Ibis, 134(4): 361-373.
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Tella, J. T., 2001: Sex-ratio theory in conservation biology. Trends in Ecology & Evolution. 16(2): 76-77.
Wright, T. F., Schirtzinger, E. E., Matsumoto, T., Eberhard, J. R., Graves, G. R., Sanchez, J. J., Capelli, S., Müller, H., Scharpegge, J., Geoffrey, K. C., Fleischer, R. C., 2008: A Multilocus Molecular Phylogeny of the Parrots (Psittaciformes): Support for a Gondwana Origin during the Cretaceous. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 25(10): 2141-2156.
http://www.kakaporecovery.org.nz/

The endeavour to save one of the rarest and most unique species of birds – Kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) – has been going on for decades. All efforts were unsuccessful until the scientists discovered how closely is the reproduction of this species related to its diet. Since the year of 2000 the population has doubled its original. However, the recovery of Kakapo populations is a long process, the species can only be considered salvaged when it is able to reproduce without human assistance.