Sirocco was hatched in 1997, and taken


for hand-rearing following a respiratory infection. He therefore became imprinted on humans, and fails to recognise or interact with others of his own kind. As he reached sexual maturity, he started relentlessly to ambush human workers and visitors to his sanctuary, becoming dangerously aggressive in his quest for sex. Traditional methods of diversion, such as feeding a less rich diet, adjusting daylight length and avoiding ‘nest’ receptacles all failed because of the Kakapo’s unique lifestyle; while running away, confronting him with a stern ‘No!’, or building a barricade alongside the path all seemed to make matters worse! Barbara’s expert advice was sought, and she went on to describe her techniques of re-channeling


his unwanted behaviour. She explained her theory of ‘Modal Action Patterns’, whereby behaviour patterns such as bowl and nest construction, lekking and booming, and sexual activity generally are all learned and improved with time and experience, and as such may be ‘re-trained’ and modified. All these actions have triggers –


08 BIRD SCENE


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