Parasite decline in Kakapo reflects a wider threat of co-staining

As conservationists compete to protect endangered species, such as New Zealand’s beloved kākāpō, a new study shows the shocking consequences: the silent extinction of its parasites.

Researchers who analyzed 800-year-old Kākāpō feces found that more than 80% of the parasites detected before the 1990s had disappeared. These findings are published in Current Biologyit is suggested that even when the Kākāpō populations recover under intensive management, the microscopic life they once carried may disappear forever – with unknown consequences for the ecosystem.

Centuries of loss, hidden in feces

Kākāpō is an endangered flying parrot that once roamed in large quantities in New Zealand. Today, there are only about 250 people left, each of whom has been carefully tracked and monitored by the protection team. To understand how the parasite community of birds changes over time, an international team of scientists at the University of Adelaide, Manaaki Wertua -landcare Research and the University of Auckland analyzed more than 200 ancient and modern KākāpōScats, about 1,500 years.

They found that of the 16 different parasite groups identified in the 1990 sample, only three of the population today. In the 1990s, before Kākāpō was fully managed, nine people disappeared and then disappeared.

Why parasites matter

Losing some parasites may be good news, but researchers urge caution. “Although sometimes negative descriptions, parasites are increasingly appreciated by their ecological importance,” said Dr. Jamie Wood of the University of Adelaide, co-author of the study.

“Parasites are one of the most common, successful and species-rich organisms on Earth, with almost all freely living species hiding some parasites,” he explained. “They may help with immune system development and compete to exclude foreign parasites that may be more harmful to the host.”

When the parasite becomes extinct with its host, it is called co-staining. As Dr. Wood points out, these losses are usually faster than the host drops. “Predictive models suggest that during costaining, the parasite may become extinct before its hosts because the chances of transmission between host individuals are reduced.”

Key Discovery

• More than 800 years of parasite data have been collected from kākāpō feces
• There are currently no 13 parasite groups in the population
• Four parasites may become extinct even after conservation efforts begin
• Host-specific parasites appear particularly fragile
• Parasite loss may reflect habitat changes, low transmission rates and veterinary interventions

Ripples effect through ecosystem

The researchers believe that these findings highlight a wider and more neglected threat in conservation biology. “Our new research suggests that parasite extinction may be much more common than previous estimates suggest, with unknown effects on their hosts and ecosystems,” Dr. Wood said.

The scale of the loss bragging by lead author Alexander shocked the Manaaki Whererua -landCare study: “The level of parasite loss in Kākāpō is greater than we expected, and in ancient and modern Kākāpō populations, few people have found parasite species. Therefore, it seems that endangered species are everywhere.

Time to save the parasite?

Although parasites are rarely part of conservation programs, this study requires a shift in thinking about. “The continued rise in global climate change, ecosystem modification and biodiversity declines,” Dr. Wood said, “and the increasing rate of global climate change, ecosystem modification and biodiversity decline means an increasing need to recognize and understand the downstream effects on dependent species, such as parasites, communists or predators.”

“Recording the extinction of parasites, which can rapidly unfold and estimate the number of currently threatened parasites is a critical first step towards the ‘Global Parasite Protection Program’ and supports informed predictions of past, present and future parasite losses.”

Journal Reference

Magazine: Current Biology
title: Long-term parasite decline is linked to endangered Kākāpō parrots
author: Alexander P. Boast, Jamie R. Wood, Nicola Bolstridge, George LW Perry, Janet M. Wilmshurst
doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.07.029

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