Kakapo eggs found on Hauturu

There has been some excitement for Department of Conservation staff trying to save endangered kakapo.

Fertile eggs have been found on Little Barrier Island (Hauturu) in the Hauraki Gulf - one of only two islands in New Zealand that can support the native parrot.

Kakapo recovery manager Deidre Vercoe Scott said it is the first time eggs have been discovered there since the birds were re-introduced in 2012.

"We thought it might take six to 10 years for the birds to settle in and start breeding, but only two years later we found our first nest.

"We're all pretty excited about that."

She said while they will keep a close eye on the chicks when they hatch, they want to see if their mother can feed them naturally from food on the island.

"We know that kakapo can nest on Hauturu. They lived there for 17 years in the 1980s and 1990s.

"But what we don't know about that island is whether they can raise chicks without any supplementary food, and we're really keen to find that out."

The other breeding ground for kakapo is Codfish Island west of Stewart Island.