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Dr Andrew Digby

@takapodigs

18 Aug 20

@docgovtnz

Last year we trialled smart eggs for #kakapo for the first time. Developed by the @docgovtnz electronics team and supported by @MeridianEnergy, these eggs make chick noises, to give the nesting mother a cue that a chick is on the way. #conservationtech #conservation

We usually remove #kakapo eggs and incubate them artificially, putting a dummy in the nest. But we’ve found that the mother gets the chick back, she often doesn’t feed it well for the first few days. So we have to feed at the nest, which is difficult and risky. #conservationtech

We suspect it’s because the dummy egg is inert. Real eggs ‘pip’ a day or so before hatching - that’s the chick vocalising. We think the mother hears this and readies herself to feed the chick. #kakapo #conservationtech #conservation

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Dr Andrew Digby

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Dr Andrew Digby

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