Record baby boom brings world's heaviest parrot back from the brink

WORLD: There's been a baby boom among one of the world's most endangered parrot species, and officials in New Zealand are squawking about it.

A record 90 chicks have been added to the count of the endangered kakapo parrot, bringing the population to a record 325 birds, the New Zealand Conservation Department said in a statement Tuesday.

The fledglings of the bird, which is native to New Zealand, were bred this year. The youngest is now 150 days old, a milestone at which the baby birds are considered independent enough to be added to the tally.

The green parrots do not fly and have a waddling gait, making them an easy target for ground predators. The kakapo is also the heaviest parrot species, with males weighing up to 9 pounds.

The bright birds, with finely blotched yellow-green plumage and large gray beaks, are also thought to be among the longest‑living bird species, reaching 60 to 90 years, the statement from the department said.

The nocturnal parrots with their owl-like faces remain critically endangered, conservationists say.

"There is still a long road of recovery ahead, but ninety chicks in a single season is a record. In the early years of recovery, it took 16 years to produce that many chicks," said Deidre Vercoe, manager of the department's kakapo recovery operations.

This Bay News report is based on originating coverage from NBC.