Review: 910017 Kakapo
Posted by FlagsNZ,
Aotearoa - New Zealand's remote geography means that a range of unusual birds has evolved due to the absence of land-based predators.
In the absence of predators, various birds lost the ability to fly — and with plentiful food and a mild climate, some grew in size and weight. The kakapo (Strigops habroptila) is one of these iconic flightless, nocturnal parrots that are endemic to New Zealand.
As 910017 Kakapo is quintessentially a Kiwi set, read on as I start a series of reviews of the BrickLink Designer Program sets.
Background
The original project has been designed by Hayden P - FlancrestEnterprises at LEGO Ideas. This has been Hayden's only Ideas project.
Kakapo was uploaded onto the LEGO Ideas platform in early June 2018. Within a few days, it reached 1,000 Supporters. By July 2018 it had been selected as a Staff Pick.
In December 2018 I featured this project in one of my Ideas Showcase articles and by March 2019 this project reached the converted status of 10,000 Supporters.
Unfortunately, the LEGO Review Board declined to take this Ideas project any further.
BrickLink Designer Program
About a year ago, LEGO announced that certain rejected LEGO Ideas projects would become available through the BrickLink Designer Program.
27 members agreed to participate and
31 10K Club projects were developed further.
From these 31 original projects, five sets were released in Round 1 of this emerging program.
The kakapo (Strigops habroptilus)
The common name of this large, flightless, nocturnal, ground-dwelling parrot "kakapo" comes from the Maori "kakapo", from kaka ("parrot") + po ("night").
The box
The box is a similar quality to the boxes produced for sets under the LEGO Ideas theme.
Kakapo is designed for AFOLs 18 years or older.
The overarching impression, however, is that these are sets designed by LEGO Fan designers.
Looking at the box there is only one LEGO logo and no LEGO Ideas branding.
Instructions
There is no printed instruction book included in this set. 910017 Kakapo instructions can be downloaded here.
Instructions for all five Round 1 sets can be found here.
Parts
There are 1063 parts in the set which have been divided into eight sections of numbered bags.
There are no unique parts and there are only a few parts that have been seen in five or fewer sets.
The predominant colour is Bright Yellowish Green (Lime) with a smattering of Brick Yellow (Tan) and Black.
The Build
Bag 1
From the start of this build, it is obvious that this will be an epic SNOT build.
Bag 2
The body of the kakapo continues to form during the build.
Bag 3
The kakapo's face emerges with a Medium Stone Grey beak complete with two nares (nostrils).
From this point, I have had to position a 1x1 tile under the body to support it for photographing: it would tip forward otherwise.
Disconcertingly, there are two black 1x2 plates leftover at the end of this build stage. Keep these aside; they will be used later!
Bag 4
The kakapo gets its left side plumage.
Bag 5
The left-wing is attached during this build stage.
Bags 6 and 7
The build during bags 6 and 7 is a mirror image of bags 4 and 5: the right-side plumage and wing.
The parts for build step 215 (in the build section for bag 6) are found in bag 7!
Bag 8
The final stages of building the kakapo are rounded off in bag 8.
The kakapo gets its tail feathers and two strong claws.
Baby chick
It is entirely appropriate that a kakapo chick is included as part of this set.
Kakapo conservation status: Threatened – Nationally Critical. This means that the kakapo survival is most severely threatened, and is facing an immediate high risk of extinction.
In my article written at the end of 2018, where I promoted Hayden's LEGO Ideas project there was only 148 kakapo alive.
I am pleased to establish that due to the Kakapo Recovery Project their population has risen to 199 birds; in just over three years, due to careful management, the kakapo population has increased by about 33%.
Hayden offered instructions for the kakapo chick in one of the updates of his LEGO Ideas project.
Offering instructions for projects that have been submitted to LEGO Ideas are prohibited. Offering the kakapo chick instructions was a clever way to entice people to take a further look at this project and perhaps offer support.
Party hats
As part of bag 8, the kakapo comes with two hats: a party hat and a top hat.
If you don't want your kakapo to wear a hat there is a little assembly that fills the recess in the kakapo's head (this is where those two 1x2 black plates, from bag 3, will eventually be used).
When the LEGO Ideas project reached 5,000 supporters, Hayden announced that milestone by giving his kakapo a party hat. This feature is carried into this model.
The kakapo also gets a formal top hat.
Celebrity Kakapo: Sirocco
Sirocco, who turned 25 last week, achieved celebrity status when he was videoed by a BBC film crew for the television series Last Chance to See. Sirocco attempted to mate with zoologist Mark Carwardine.
Last Chance to See presenter, Stephen Fry, commented, "Sorry, but this is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. You are being shagged by a rare parrot."
Sirocco was appointed as Official Spokesbird for Conservation by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key in 2010; that year being the International Year of Biodiversity.
Key commented, "He's a very media-savvy bird, he's got a worldwide fan base – they hang on every squawk that comes out of his beak. He'll be a great official spokesbird and a great ambassador for New Zealand."
Kakapo is possibly one of the world's longest-living birds, with a reported lifespan of up to 100 years.
You can find Sirocco:
- On Facebook - 237,000 followers
- On Twitter - 22,000 followers
- On YouTube
- On Wikipedia
Comparison with the originally submitted LEGO Ideas project
Hayden's original LEGO Ideas submission had 473 parts. The model underwent a few revisions and updates with a few additional parts added.
The Bricklink Designer Program model was a complete re-design that uses 1063 parts - more than double the parts of the former model.
Hayden's original kakapo has a more ruffled look and uses earth brown colours. It is a smaller, more rounded model
Overall opinion
It has been a privilege to help a fellow Kiwi AFOL obtain membership in the LEGO Ideas 10K Club. It has also been great to see this project evolve into a set through the BrickLink Designer Program. It is impressive that it was also selected in Round 1.
Pros
- The Kakapo has a more groomed look than the original LEGO Ideas submission.
- The body is very solidly built and balances well on two strong legs.
- It is a great display model.
- Hayden and his original LEGO Ideas submission, as well as this model, have helped raise awareness of the plight of these critically endangered flightless birds.
Cons
- If you are going to display this model then the wings won't be a problem. Otherwise, they are the weakest part of the model: they tend to break off very easily.*
- There are two 1x2 plates found in Bag 3 that are not used until Bag 8.
- The parts for build step 215 are found in the next bag.
- There is no reference or link found on the LEGO Ideas site referring to this model on the BrickLink Designer Program. A link could easily be added to the Comments or Official LEGO Comments tabs.
- The first batch of 5,000 Kakapo sets sold out within hours of going live. Due to a glitch in the first offering of Round 1 sets, a second offering of 5,000 sets was made available and there has been a total of about 7,700 sets ordered and produced. (I'll discuss this further in my next review).
- I ordered my Kakapo set when Round 1 of the BrickLink Designer Program crowdfunding went live on 1 Jul 2021. It has taken nine months for this set to be delivered.
* I have witnessed Hayden's prototype where the wings are firmly attached to the model. I watched a video where Hayden demonstrated picking up the prototype model by one wing, and it remained fully attached throughout. Hayden concedes that the wings are the weakest part of the model.
Kakapo alongside the LEGO Ideas 21301 Birds set released in 2015.
Next week I will be reviewing 910001 Castle in the Forest.
148 likes
41 comments on this article
It looks like an improvement over the Ideas set but still a bit dotty for me. Hats are funny as hell though, nice touch.
I got it after the disappointment of seeing the castle sold out 30 minutes into the sale, and it's just an amazing desk companion. I love posing the big one, I love making new hats for it, it's one of my favorite sets. Thanks, castle in the forest fiasco, I'd never have gotten my desk friend otherwise!
Not read this yet, but is there a reason the word 'Review' has been omitted from the title? My Google feed shows me titles of articles of interest from Brickset and just the set name and number tells me nothing!
@maffyd said:
"Not read this yet, but is there a reason the word 'Review' has been omitted from the title? My Google feed shows me titles of articles of interest from Brickset and just the set name and number tells me nothing!"
Thanks for the comment. I have just edited the title.
"There have been only 10,000 sets produced in two releases of 5,000. Both releases sold out within hours of going live."
Not to be mean or anything, but this isn't technically true. The only two sets to sell out all 10,000 copies were the Castle in the Forest and the Great Fishing Boat. The rest probably sold about 7,000-9,000 copies, based on the progress bars on the site.
That said, I absolutely love the kakapo and cannot wait to build my set. Now I know which pieces are not meant to be spares, thanks to your very detailed review!
@Jern92 said:
""There have been only 10,000 sets produced in two releases of 5,000. Both releases sold out within hours of going live."
Not to be mean or anything, but this isn't technically true. The only two sets to sell out all 10,000 copies were the Castle in the Forest and the Great Fishing Boat. The rest probably sold about 7,000-9,000 copies, based on the progress bars on the site.
That said, I absolutely love the kakapo and cannot wait to build my set. Now I know which pieces are not meant to be spares, thanks to your very detailed review!"
Just checked: yes you are correct. By my calculations, about 7,700+ Kakapo sets have been produced and Round 1 has been archived. I'll cover this in more detail in my next review which will be Castle in the Forest.
Such a fantastic review. It was fascinating, covering the story of the kakapo, I am glad that the recovery project is going so well.
Thank you very much for the detailed review and the links to Sirocco's various accounts. I didn't order any of the Designer Program sets, so I am happy to have a chance to learn about them here. I'm looking forward to your next review, and I'm happy to be following Sirocco. I'm hoping he posts lots of pictures of his grand-chicks, great grand-chicks and great-great grand-chicks, and there are probably even more greats than that from a 100 year old kakapoo:)
Waited 9 months. Never arrived. Contacted Lego when they said it (along with the safe) had been shipped and delivered. I've NEVER had any packages go missing. They won't send out replacement sets and reluctantly gave refund. They apparently only make the specific number of sets that are ordered. Very stupid. How hard is it to make enough sets to cover problems with delivery (which inevitably occur and large companies of course have statistics and awareness of the issue). Not happy. Lego customer service is crashing downhill. Premium prices and crappy service. I've ordered 4 other Bricklink designer sets. Still waiting. Wonder if I'll ever get them. My son loves birds. He was crushed to learn that our birdy will never arrive!
The original book Last Chance To See, by the late Douglas Adams with Mark Carwardine, is highly recommended (though apparently a little fast and loose with facts, it should be said). Very, very funny, though.
i first heard about the kakapo on David Attenborough's Birds series, and was overjoyed at the Ideas project! so glad it finally made it to production! my set is a few feet away from me right now and looking forward to construction ^_^
If the instructions are online, shouldn't they be in Brickset's official listing for instructions?
I have to say, the finished model is possibly the most beautiful model I've ever built. Unfortunately the build process is one of the most boring, and the instructions (being fan-made) are far worse than official Lego sets. Neither issue takes away from the final model though, which is stunning.
I got the safe, but wish had got this to, for some reason, missed it or thought it was quite small, but it looks very good, I have the 2015 birds set to so would of went well!
I like birds, New Zealand, Douglas Adams and Lego, so win-win-win-win. Although I was quite disappointed to find it didn't have printed instructions (I really dislike having to use a phone for those) I really like it. A bit fiddly to build and I did have to go back a few times to fix things (while destroying others), but the end result is really nice and it is the only set (next to 75192) I keep on display. The chick is a nice addition.
I hope we get a review for 910023 Venetian Houses. That was the set I bought and I am really looking forward to it!
I have never heard of Kakapo before but made some readings.
The effort about saving this bird from extinction is exteaordinary!
I actually think I prefer the original design.
Also, I guess this is a joke that's gone over my head. Why does the parrot come with a top hat?
@Syren_Neostar said:
"I hope we get a review for 910023 Venetian Houses. That was the set I bought and I am really looking forward to it!"
I bought this as well. But, alas, we will need to wait a little for the round 2 sets. According to the website, they won't ship before Q3 this year...
@mediAFOL said:
"The original book Last Chance To See, by the late Douglas Adams with Mark Carwardine, is highly recommended (though apparently a little fast and loose with facts, it should be said). Very, very funny, though."
I agree 100%.
@NatureBricks said:
"I like it, but wasn't it $80? That was just too much for me.
I'm still waiting for my fishing boat. I don't think it will ever show up."
Strange. My Fishing Boat was delivered months ago.
still waiting for the safe and pursuit of flight from the first round. I ordered them during the extended order period and the status says 'in process'
@NatureBricks said:
" @AustinPowers said:
" @NatureBricks said:
"I like it, but wasn't it $80? That was just too much for me.
I'm still waiting for my fishing boat. I don't think it will ever show up."
Strange. My Fishing Boat was delivered months ago. "
Yes. Strange isn't the word I'd use, I would just say BS.
The first 5,000 people got their sets first, but then Europe even got the sets months before the other parts of the world. I bought it August 2. I don't ever expect it to actually arrive. It's almost like a company that made $2 billion in profits doesn't know what the hell they are doing. Almost... almost..."
i understood all sets purchased in august will be delivered in June 2022
I'm still waiting for mine. I ordered the Kakapo and others in August 2021, during the 'second wave' after the initial debacle. Lego.com says the order is 'in process'. I expected a long wait, but a little more info would have been helpful.
I had the same parts problem with another bricklink designer set! (leftover used later, parts in another bag)
The overall set doesn't have the polish of an official Lego set but the bird is delightful and the hats are fun. It has a very Lego feel to it.
I'm glad I backed the set.
@NatureBricks said:
"I like it, but wasn't it $80? That was just too much for me.
I'm still waiting for my fishing boat. I don't think it will ever show up."
I had a weird thing where I thought I ordered the fishing boat, and it never showed up. Then I went back and checked and Lego Shop never showed any evidence of me ordering it. Not sure if I imagined buying it, or if there was some glitch that affected Fishing Boat orders and made them disappear.
Great review, looking forward to building my copy that finally arrived last week.
Your review mentions that there are no printed build instructions in the set. This is very disappointing to me - for one the set cost a lot but most of all because I like to build Lego to get away from the screens I am looking at all day. Also I only have a desktop at home so I need to build in front of that instead of my usual build room - so nice of Lego to assume all of their consumers have tablets or laptops at home to access the set instructions!
birb
bIrDs Rn't reAl
I dunno ... I loved the original idea, it had so much spirit of a real Kakapo - chaotic, intelligent, fuzzy, up for adventure.
the re-do is like a sitting dove in spotted green feathers, but they can't hide the static pose a d expression.
this turnes from a must-buy to a nah I don't bother for me.
Brilliant review. Love how you’ve formatted it, especially with the comparison at the end to reach a kind of conclusion to the article. What a great read/look at the set, thanks!
Got this in the 2nd wave and am eagerly anticipating it’s arrival sometime around June. Great set, though it’s pretty sad that there are like 40 sets per actual living Kakapo
I thought the instructions on the app were brilliant, miles better than printed instructions especially being able to rotate them on screen. I appreciate they aren't for everyone.
I love my kakapo so much. I did fix the wings though, I have no idea why it wasn't sorted in design.
Great model though, has pride of place on my shelves.
@bRicks2017 said:
[i understood all sets purchased in august will be delivered in June 2022]]
Yes, I received an email from Lego back in January advising that any sets purchased in August may not be delivered until as late as June 2022.
@NatureBricks said:
" @xboxtravis7992 said:
" @NatureBricks said:
"I like it, but wasn't it $80? That was just too much for me.
I'm still waiting for my fishing boat. I don't think it will ever show up."
I had a weird thing where I thought I ordered the fishing boat, and it never showed up. Then I went back and checked and Lego Shop never showed any evidence of me ordering it. Not sure if I imagined buying it, or if there was some glitch that affected Fishing Boat orders and made them disappear. "
I checked, my order is listed, that's how I know I bought it August 2. My memory isn't that good.
@bRicks2017 said:
" @NatureBricks said:
" @AustinPowers said:
" @NatureBricks said:
"I like it, but wasn't it $80? That was just too much for me.
I'm still waiting for my fishing boat. I don't think it will ever show up."
Strange. My Fishing Boat was delivered months ago. "
Yes. Strange isn't the word I'd use, I would just say BS.
The first 5,000 people got their sets first, but then Europe even got the sets months before the other parts of the world. I bought it August 2. I don't ever expect it to actually arrive. It's almost like a company that made $2 billion in profits doesn't know what the hell they are doing. Almost... almost..."
i understood all sets purchased in august will be delivered in June 2022"
I'll believe that when I see it. I got an email in December saying it would ship soon, then another email, in my spam, saying it was delayed.
10 months is OUTRAGEOUS. What if my credit card expires, lost or stolen during that time?"
I've had my card expire after pre-ordering something, they will make contact with you to get updated details and your order will be held until that time.
Was a really easy process on that front.
As for the 10 months being outrageous, we knew it going in that it would ship in June, frustrating yes, but well advertised that was the time frame.
That chick is adorable. Shame it doesn't get any hats.
@NatureBricks said:
" @Yergs said:
" @NatureBricks said:
As for the 10 months being outrageous, we knew it going in that it would ship in June, frustrating yes, but well advertised that was the time frame.
"
We did? I did not. Once again, I was told in an email, I think even more than one, that it would ship December or January, not June.
"
That was for the first wave
@NatureBricks said:
" @Yergs said:
" @NatureBricks said:
As for the 10 months being outrageous, we knew it going in that it would ship in June, frustrating yes, but well advertised that was the time frame.
"
We did? I did not. Once again, I was told in an email, I think even more than one, that it would ship December or January, not June.
"
That email was sent in error to everyone who ordered in the second wave as well as those in the first set of orders. When I phoned them up to change my card details they confirmed I wouldn’t get half of the sets until June as I ordered two in the initial 5,000 and another two when they reopened sales for the further 5,000
@hobsgrg said:
" @NatureBricks said:
" @Yergs said:
" @NatureBricks said:
As for the 10 months being outrageous, we knew it going in that it would ship in June, frustrating yes, but well advertised that was the time frame.
"
We did? I did not. Once again, I was told in an email, I think even more than one, that it would ship December or January, not June.
"
That email was sent in error to everyone who ordered in the second wave as well as those in the first set of orders. When I phoned them up to change my card details they confirmed I wouldn’t get half of the sets until June as I ordered two in the initial 5,000 and another two when they reopened sales for the further 5,000"
I ordered various sets during different parts of the silly process. When I phoned Customer Service, they had no information about anything. The only thing they could say for sure was that if for some reason there is a problem with delivery, then you are out of luck. There will be no attempt by Lego to make it right!
Thus far, I've received nothing, and have lost countless hours to frustration.
This review is missing the BrickLink tag. Would have made it easier to search for.