McLeod Bay daytime kiwi sighting a sign of extraordinary growth in Whangārei Heads

A healthy adult kiwi was found at McLeod Bay in the Whangārei Heads on Friday morning. Photo / Supplied

A rare daytime sighting of a healthy adult kiwi in McLeod Bay points to the extraordinary growth of the species in the area, according to a local expert.

The male kiwi, now aptly named Mcleod (with a lower case l), was spotted near the McLeod Bay playground by the waterfront on Friday morning, after the nocturnal animal was likely disturbed before moving down to the water in search of food.

The nocturnal bird was likely disturbed in the morning and was then on the lookout for food. Photo / Supplied

Backyard Kiwi project manager Todd Hamilton, who coordinated the Whangārei Heads community's kiwi conservation work, had more than a dozen missed calls Friday morning regarding the kiwi's beach excursion as he was working on Limestone Island.

Hamilton then called a former ranger who caught the 1.8kg bird before he gave it to a local farmer. By the evening, Hamilton had checked to see if the bird was sick, measured, named and tagged it before releasing it back into an appropriate area.

Hamilton believed the kiwi had likely searched for food outside its normal environment because of current conditions.

Backyard Kiwi project manager Todd Hamilton (pictured) released the kiwi back in to the wild. Photo / Supplied

"It is dry which means less moisture, means less bugs for them, and the bugs they need for food and moisture," he said.

"What happens is they get a bit hungrier, the kiwi get to stay up later into the daytime and they have to go further [for food]."

The experienced trapper was buoyed by the kiwi's appearance as it indicated local populations were healthy. In the last 20 years, kiwi numbers in the Whangārei Heads had increased more than 1000 per cent from 80 to about 900.

Hamilton said the sharp rise was proof the local stoat population was well controlled and community education programmes around dog control were effective.

"The main showstopper for kiwi populations is dog control. We've got really good dog control at the Whangārei Heads because those of us with dogs put them on leads, so the dogs don't get the kiwi."

The kiwi, aptly named Mcleod, was a sign local kiwi populations were thriving. Photo / Supplied

He said it set a good example for other Northland coastal communities to follow, given the well-recognised expansion of kiwi populations up the east coast towards Tutukaka.

For more information on kiwi conservation, www.backyardkiwi.org.nz

What to do if see a kiwi:

• Make sure your dog is under control
• Watch the kiwi to see if it's healthy
• Ring Backyard Kiwi on 021 114 5385
• Keep the kiwi safe and enjoy watching