Taking the chicks to their temporary island home

This is Abbie with one of the chicks she took up to Motuara Island last week.
The chicks were flown from Willowbank in Christchurch to Blenheim in an aeroplane (who said kiwi can't fly!). Then Abbie and Liz drove them to Picton, and after that they boated across to the island - whew!
Liz will keep you updated with their progress. Watch this space.

Adventure! Our night listening for rowi in the Okarito kiwi zone....

And the winner of 'name the rowi chick' (the one you met) is.....................

Okka

Rowi chick visits school!

Dunc's and I enjoyed bringing the chick to school to show you. You were all so quiet. This is really important so we do not frighten the chick.

When we got to the airport the rowi chick was weighed again in it's box. Can you see the stickers that the airport staff put on the box. What do the stickers say ?

Dunc's is weighing the rowi chick carefully. Do you remember how heavy it was?

Can you see the egg in the burrow?

After we lift out an egg, we place a cross on top of it with a pencil. It must sit in the carrier the same way it did in the burrow. Can you guess why?

Lifting an egg

Here is Warren the kiwi worker.











Sometimes the egg can be found in a deep burrow, in the trunk of a big tree.
For this egg we had to track exactly where the kiwi was sitting, then dig a hatch to get it out.
Look at Warrens face. How do you think he is feeling?

A successful chick rescue from Okarito Forest

What an amazing day we have had! First we took the chick out of the burrow, put it into the bucket and took it back to base. Walking, then in the boat and in the car. Abby was at base to meet us and she made sure the brooder was ready.

Next the chick will go straight to Motuara Island.

Why do you think we took a chick, not the egg this time?

The difference between north island brown and rowi

Can you see differences between the chicks?
There are two brown kiwi and one rowi. Can you tell which ones they are?

Claire is the Kiwi Husbandry Manager at Kiwi Encounter

After candling the egg Claire measures it. What do you think she is writing down about this egg?

Kiwi hatching at Kiwi Encounter - the kiwi chick successfully hatches!

After hatching the chick stays in the incubator for 48 hours.

It dries off and learns to stand up.

After that it will be put into a brooder.

Kiwi hatching at Kiwi Encounter

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this chick pipping out of it's shell! Can you estimate how old this chick is?

Kiwi Encounter in Rotorua candling the eggs

Candling the egg

"Candling" means shining a bright light into a kiwi egg to light up whats inside. This tells if the egg is alive and how old it is.

Duncs setting up a datalogger

Dunc's went to university after school. He wears amazing long dreadlocks! He is the kiwi team leader.

Dunc's is setting up a datalogger not far from a kiwi burrow.

Can you spot Bruce?

What is a datalogger?

Dataloggers listen to kiwi transmitters and record kiwi movements. Why do you think kiwi workers need to know this?

Wash and weigh the rowi egg

Here is Amy. Amy will take care of our the rowi eggs. This is the incubator at Willowbank.

Can you guess how long it might take for a rowi egg to hatch?

Hey this rowi egg is heading to Willowbank!

Amy and Mat work at Willowbank. I was lucky to go with them from Franz Base to Willowbank in the car.

We carefully looked after the eggs.

Willowbank is a great place to see a kiwi. I saw two kiwi foraging for worms with its bill.

After a night at Franz Josef

The eggs had a night in the Franz incubators. Would they be kept warm or cold? Why?

After that the eggs went back in the carrier and into the car.

What a long journey
Can you remember where they travel to? from Franz they go to--------
then to-----------and last of all--------!

Abby is the expert on holding the eggs before they goes to Willowbank

Abby looks after the eggs while they are waiting in the incubator to go to Willowbank.

She washes and weighs the eggs.

Why do you think she is wearing gloves?

In the helicopter taking the eggs to Franz base

Here we are, hanging onto the egg carriers very carefully!

The helicopter was the safest way to get back to Franz Base. Why do you think that was?

This was the fantastic birds eye view from the helicopter down the Waiau River.