Known as Mr Roto, the 21-year-old kaka was reared at the Dunedin Botanic Garden after being rescued from his Lake Rotoiti nest by Department of Conservation staff after his mother was eaten by a stoat.
He was introduced to the ecosanctuary in August 2007 and was later joined in its aviary by Mrs Roto, a wild kaka found in a pigeon loft in Maori Hill.
They performed a valuable role as acoustic anchors to help keep released kaka in the ecosanctuary.
After several years, they had not bred so they were released in 2011 only to stay together and produce four chicks.
Ecosanctuary general manager Chris Baillie said lead guide Sue Hensley, who monitored the kaka, radio-tracked Mr Roto, finding him under a rotten pine log.
''It appears that the log fell on him while he was grubbing and he would have died fairly quickly.''
Mr Roto was well used to people and was very affectionate and friendly, often landing on people's shoulders and grooming their hair.
Conservation manager Elton Smith said Mr Roto had been a great ambassador for Orokonui and for conservation.
He would be buried at Orokonui after a necropsy at Massey University.
