Rainbow proved to be a kiwi pot of gold

Whangarei Kiwi Sanctuary staff are mourning the loss of a friend of 16 years - Rainbow, a feathered super-stud.

Rainbow, who joined the sanctuary as an adult in 1996, was recently found dead in his usual territory near Purua, northwest of Whangarei. He appeared to have died from natural causes, probably old age.

Although the tough old bird is gone, his legacy proves you can't kill a rainbow.

Rainbow contributed many chicks, which he helped raise in the wild, and many eggs to BNZ Operation Nest Egg. He was known to have had at least 30 nests since 1996, many of which produced two chicks.

"It is always sad to lose such a productive member of the population, but heartening that he survived for so long, and that he was not killed by a dog," Department of Conservation kiwi ranger Miriam Ritchie said.

"It is a positive sign that people in the Purua area, where he lived, are controlling their dogs and protecting kiwi." Most admired for his exceptional breeding and parenting skills, Rainbow's lifestyle showed that he was not your average kiwi in other ways.

"Most kiwi have a few burrows within their territories that they use. Rainbow was different in that he had just one burrow he used when he wasn't on a nest. We referred to it as his fortress - it was under a huge totara tree and it was impossible to see or reach him when he was in it," Ms Ritchie said.

Rainbow had his 15 minutes of fame when he featured in The Zoo television series, in which he was celebrated for fathering the 150th kiwi chick for the Auckland Zoo breeding programme.

He was a bit of a Lothario and was known to have had at least four different mates during the 16 years he was studied. Most kiwi mate for life. Rainbow got his name from the reflective tape on his leg band - four colours instead of the usual one or two.

Kiwi populations in Northland should be thriving, even without Rainbow's valuable contribution. The unique Northland brown kiwi lays more eggs per year than other kiwi and can start breeding at 3-4 years. Unfortunately, their life expectancy is only 14 years, compared with 45-60 years elsewhere - a limited life span mainly because of attack by dogs.