On 12 March, World Parrot Org’s Luis Ortiz-Catedral will be on Island to walk us through the reserve in Okiwi which is home to a population of Kākāriki, on which he is an expert. Luis last joined us in January 2023 and enriched our intrigued group with his knowledge on breeding patterns, social behaviour, habitat and much more. He was also astonished to see the abundance of birdlife within the reserve.

Luis is a conservation biologist and wildlife manager specialising on recovering populations of threatened island vertebrates. He has studied wild parrots in New Zealand and Australia for 17 years. In the last decade, he has also led recovery programs for mockingbirds, iguanas and terrestrial snakes in the Galapagos Islands. Originally from Mexico, Luis completed his postgraduate studies in New Zealand focusing on translocation techniques for Kākāriki (parakeets). His research has contributed to developing a blueprint for Kākāriki translocations in New Zealand, and to a better management of pathogens in wild parrot populations.

Please join us for this exciting, free event 10am – 12pm. Okiwi Reserve. Well worth anyone’s time!