The chick would be the first kiwi to have hatched in Nelson Lakes National Park in decades. It is the off-spring of two great spotted kiwi, Kahurangi and Awaroa, that were among nine great spotted kiwi/roa moved to the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project area from Kahurangi National Park last May as part of Bank of New Zealand Kiwi Recovery.

Department of Conservation staff monitoring the kiwi in their new home at Rotoiti detected signs of the male kiwi, Kahurangi, incubating an egg late last year.

DOC St Arnaud ranger Paul Gasson said Kahurangi and his mate Awaroa had recently left the nest area and a check of the nest this week found egg shell fragments and egg membrane.

“The egg fragments and egg membrane are indications a chick has successfully hatched so we are now looking for a chick. We can’t be certain it is alive but there also are no signs it has died. We are hoping it is alive and well.”

Mr Gasson will search for a chick using his kiwi dog, Huxley, which is specially trained to seek out kiwi. If found a transmitter will be placed on the chick, as with the adult kiwi, so staff can continue to monitor its whereabouts.

Mr Gasson said it was estimated the chick could be two to four weeks old.

“At four weeks old it could be living independently of its parents. We don’t know where exactly it might be so it may not be easy to find. We want to find it if we can but we also need to be careful that our searches don’t disturb the other kiwi. As little human as disturbance as possible is important in their adapting to their new home.”

Mr Gasson said the apparent successful breeding of a chick was a major milestone in efforts to re-establish a kiwi population in the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project area, where the species had become extinct.

“We are thrilled that there has been some breeding so soon after the kiwi were moved. It is an indication a breeding population of great spotted kiwi could become established in the Rotoiti area.”

Mr Gasson said there was no indication of breeding by the other kiwi but great spotted kiwi did not necessarily breed every year.

The move of the nine kiwi was the first translocation of great spotted kiwi in recent times. It is a goal of Bank of New Zealand Kiwi Recovery to increase the numbers of places in which kiwi live. It is also a goal of the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project to re-introduce species lost from the area. Intensive pest control over 5000 hectares in the Rotoiti project area is creating a protected “mainland island” for native species. Great spotted kiwi is the first species to be reintroduced to the Rotoiti recovery area.

For more information:
DOC Nelson/Marlborough:
Paul Gasson, St Arnaud Area Office, Phone: (03) 521 1806, or
Trish Grant, media liaison, Phone: (03) 546 3146.

DOC kiwi information:
Paul Jansen, Phone: (04) 471 3236 or 025 410 026

Bank of New Zealand Kiwi Recovery Trust:
Kieron Goodwin, Phone: (09) 375 1084 or 029 478 4610.