Kiwi Trust Monitors Local Birds as Nesting Season Brings Hope for New Chicks

The Whakatāne Kiwi Trust has successfully completed its yearly round of kiwi health checks, with the added excitement of three eggs currently being incubated in the wild.

The community-led, registered charity is dedicated to protecting kiwi and other indigenous species within the Whakatāne area, working under its mission of “Healthy Kiwi, Healthy Forest, Healthy Community.”

Each year, a team of passionate volunteers carefully monitors the health of local male kiwi. The checks are carried out after the summer incubation season and include weighing the birds, assessing their condition, inspecting eyes and ears, and replacing transmitters. The transmitters, essential for monitoring, are secured using hospital baby bands and medical tape.

Earlier this year, 1XX News reporter Holly Grundy joined the team on one of these health checks. Using transmitter signals, the group tracked down a kiwi known as Dozen. However, the process isn’t always straightforward, with birds often tucked into tricky spots, it can take more than one attempt to locate them. In Dozen’s case, it took several tries before the team finally succeeded.

When males are incubating, transmitters continue to play an important role. Male kiwi only leave the nest for around four hours a day to feed, compared with the usual twelve when not incubating. This makes it vital for the Trust to keep a close eye on their condition, ensuring that any health issues can be treated promptly and that the local population remains strong.

“We don’t know if they have one or two in the nest. When we find out they are incubating, our team backs right off and lets them do their thing,” explained Trust member Claire Travers.

Brown kiwi are unique among their species, being the only type that can lay two eggs at a time, making this nesting season especially significant for the Whakatāne area.

Travers added that the kiwi are not just a conservation success story, but also a local treasure. “We are so lucky to have these birds pretty much sitting in our backyard. It is so important that people know they are there and know what they can do to help.”

To further boost awareness and conservation efforts, the Trust recently opened a Kiwi Hub in Whakatāne’s town centre. The hub gives residents and visitors the chance to learn more about the brown kiwi, a species unique to the area, and to celebrate the everyday heroes working hard to protect them.