Four more kiwi in Northland’s backyard after latest release

Ngaire Sullivan of Kiwi Coast with kiwi Maia. Photo / Carlyn Condon

The dream of a ‘kiwi corridor’ is ever closer as more of the iconic birds were recently released at Whangārei Heads.

One kiwi was named after community stalwart Murdoch Ross, who died last month. The kiwi was fittingly released on Ross’s family land in Parua Bay last Sunday.

Backyard Kiwi project manager Todd Hamilton said Ross was “a very special” community member and it was “humbling to honour him” this way.

Hamilton said kiwi numbers have risen from 80 to 1130 in the wider area in the 20 years Backyard Kiwi has been operating.

“That exceptional result is all due to dedicated local dog owners tying up their dogs and walking them on leads, and the sustained pest control involving predator trapping and pulses of ground-based 1080,” he said. “These things are critical to kiwi survival, and it’s why we can release four more kiwi here, right behind the Parua Bay Village.”

Another Kiwi was named Fetu Mama by Pacific Island Charitable Trust, and Multicultural Whangārei named another kiwi Om. The fourth Kiwi was named Maia.

The community were then able to watch two of the kiwi - Murdoch and Maia - be released into prepared burrows after a karakia from Backyard Kiwi chairman Danny Tuato’o.

Kiwi Coast co-ordinator Ngaire Sullivan said the key aim is to create a kiwi corridor.

“Just like the kiwi released at Tūtūkākā a couple of weeks ago, we are keen to see where these kiwi wander and what they do next.

“We are working with communities, iwi and hapū to help them build a continuous kiwi-safe corridor of pest control in eastern Whangārei. We call this New Zealand’s first ‘kiwi corridor’, and it all starts by linking the communities and kiwi together again.”

The four kiwi were raised on Matakohe Limestone Island in a kiwi creche, after being transferred as chicks from the Whangārei Kiwi Sanctuary with support from Ngāti Hine.