Kiwi update

Hi everyone. This is an x ray of a kiwi with something inside, can you see what it is? Post your reply

This season is now in full swing. We have transmitters on 54 pairs, which are keeping staff happy monitoring nests. Already we have 7 eggs and 6 chicks at willowbank with another 15 in the forest - and this is expecting to increase.

14 chicks from last season are currently still on Motuara Island, happily gaining weight. Unfortunately one was found dead, we aren't sure why.

The Kiwi Team

There are a few staff changes - Duncan and Liz are still working hard - Liz has taken over Abbies role looking after the incubation room, as Abbie has headed to the bright lights of Wellington.

Ian moved from the Visitor Assets team to the Kiwi team early this year and Josh who was a trainee ranger now has a full time role. Jo who used to work for the kiwi team has come back for a two year stint, also helping Myles with weed work.

More news from Motuara Island

Four more chicks were taken to Motuara Island last week, with just one remaining at Willowbank. This just had his transmitter attached.

We had a few concerns on this trip. We needed to check the chicks that had been released from previous visits to ensure that they are OK. We found seven together in one penguin burrow, but four were missing! We ran around trying to find the transmitter signal but no luck. The next day we got faint signals from two of the chicks but Okka and one other were still missing. We were worried that the transmitters had failed. As the boat was leaving we asked the skipper to take us around the island so we could try one more time .... and yes, we got strong signals for them both. Phew!

Motuara Island is not just special as as a kiwi creche; robins and saddleback have also been reintroduced there. Other birds we saw on our trip were falcon, tui, bellbird, fantail, sooty shearwater and pied shag.

Bellbird having a bath








Juvenile saddleback at the hut. Do you know what an adult saddleback looks like?

Robin checking out the kiwi box

Okka goes North

After Okka came to visit you all, Duncan drove him to Willowbank. He stayed for one month before flying (on an aeroplane) to Blenheim then over to Motuara Island with Abbie and Liz.
Liz released him into a wooden roost box, after attaching a transmitter. Abbie will be checking him next week and we let you know how he is getting on.

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.