Kohanga kiwi

Kohanga kiwi are a sign of success.

Wild kiwi in some managed sites are breeding and surviving so well that the areas have reached their carrying capacity and new homes have to be found for young birds to avoid pressure for food and territories.

The name ‘kohanga kiwi’ describes these successful locations. Their surplus birds are being used to supplement existing wild populations and to establish entirely new wild populations in places where kiwi would once have roamed.

So far, formal kohanga kiwi are in place or being developed for brown kiwi, rowi and Haast tokoeka, and little spotted kiwi are also part of the programme.

Brown kiwi

Several kohanga kiwi populations exist or are planned for brown kiwi. These include:

Motuora Island, in the Hauraki Gulf—excess Northland brown kiwi beyond the island’s carrying capacity were moved to a new kiwi population established at the Tawharanui Open Sanctuary, north of Auckland. Birds are now going to other sites, and have supplemented populations, including Whangarei Heads.
Matakohe-Limestone Island, near Whangarei—excess Northland brown kiwi are moved to supplement the natural Whangarei Heads population.
Maungatautari, in the Waikato—its excess western brown kiwi will be moved to Taranaki and Tongariro.
The Cape Kidnappers and Ocean Beach Wildlife Preserve Partnership, Hawke’s Bay—this will become a kohanga kiwi for the eastern brown kiwi taxa, with birds going into the Kaweka Range.

It has been suggested that kohanga kiwi would not be needed for Northland brown kiwi if the region’s dog control problems could be solved—kiwi breed prolifically enough to naturally sustain local populations if only dog-caused deaths of adult breeding birds could be reduced.

Little spotted kiwi

No formal kohanga kiwi populations exist for little spotted kiwi, although birds are regularly moved off Kapiti Island which is at, or close to, its carrying capacity. About 200 birds have been moved to other islands or the Karori Sanctuary.

The Department of Conservation plans to swap birds between these island populations to maintain genetic diversity.

Rowi

Kohanga kiwi populations are being established for rowi. Planning has begun for populations on Mana Island of the Wellington coast, and the Chetwode Islands in the Marlborough Sounds.

As well, if the birds moved to Blumine Island, a Department of Conservation-managed reserve in the Marlborough Sounds, begin to breed, it will be a kohanga kiwi. These birds are older and have been non-productive at Okarito Sanctuary. Moving them frees up territories in the sanctuary for younger breeding birds, and is also an opportunity to see if living on richer soils will increase the older birds’ breeding success. Increasing the number of breeding birds is important to help avoid genetic bottlenecks.

Haast tokoeka

Kohanga kiwi populations have been established for Haast tokoeka on some small island populations and a fenced sanctuary built near Dunedin—in the Orokonui Ecosanctuary.

The Trust

Our trustees help guide BNZ Save the Kiwi.

Kids raise kiwi funds

There are many creative ways schools and school children can raise money to help fund kiwi projects.

Forestry & Kiwi

Depending on how they are managed, exotic forests can be useful kiwi habitat.

Did You Know?

A kiwi’s cry can carry several kilometres. Once kiwi have established their territories, border disputes are usually settled by calls to mark the boundaries, rather than fights.