Kiwi spotted in Pureora Forest for first time in 25 years on trail cam

The kiwi is thought to be a western brown. It's the first live member of its species identified in northern Pureora since 2000. Photo / Department of Conservation

For the first time in more than 25 years, a kiwi sighting has been recorded in the Pureora Forest’s Waipapa block.

A trail camera captured the bird soon after 4am on February 25, the Department of Conservation said.

DoC’s Maniapoto operations manager Graham Kimber said the camera had been set up as part of a trial to test a new non-toxic sausage bait being developed to control introduced predators.

Fifty cameras were put in place to monitor the interactions of introduced predators and non-target species with the bait.

Native birds in Pureora Forest face ongoing threats from stoats and ferrets, and ground-dwelling birds such as kiwi can also be attacked and killed by dogs.

Kimber said the appearance of the bird was a welcome surprise and a testament to the hard work of the DoC team’s predator control efforts in the area.

“We did not expect to have this bird crop up on a camera.

“We’re rapt our ongoing efforts, including the use of 1080 to control predators, appear to be working.

“We’re taking this bird as a promising sign we need to keep the pressure on these predators to protect our taonga species.”

The kiwi is thought to be a western brown, and is the first live member of its species identified in northern Pureora since 2000.

Expert DoC staff who have assessed the video believe the kiwi is a young bird that has now reached more than 1kg – meaning it’s likely large enough to fend off a stoat.

Without capturing and examining the bird, its gender remains unknown.

DoC urges anyone exploring the Pureora Forest Park, including those in the Pureora Hunting Competition, to report any kiwi sightings by calling 0800 DOC HOT.

Video, photographs and GPS co-ordinates of where the bird was found or a description of its location were valuable, DoC said.

Hunters with dogs should ensure they were trained to avoid kiwi.