Daytime kiwi fight in Kerikeri garden surprises locals, reveals rare territorial clash

In a remarkable scene captured in Northland, two kiwi birds engaged in a fight during daylight hours, offering a rare glimpse into the territorial behaviour of the elusive, nocturnal birds.

Some thought it was AI and others believed it was an April Fool’s joke, but it was 100% real. Two kiwi birds duking it out in broad daylight, in the garden of a Far North woman, Karin Matthews.

In a video captured by Matthews, the birds are seen running around the garden and kicking and bashing into each other.

Matthews told 1News that seeing them so often was “fantastic” and that seeing them in fight mode was comical.

She said seeing kiwi often was not unusual at her home, west of Kerikeri, but seeing them during the day was not usual.

The Department of Conservation (DoC) said in a statement the video was fascinating and gave more insight into the distribution of kiwi.

“This is a fascinating video ... We can’t really know specifically why these two kiwis were out during daylight – it could be related to conditions like drought, or it could just be that they got distracted by their fight.”

DoC added that kiwi are primarily nocturnal and sightings of them fighting during the day are unusual but not unheard of and they may be seen during the day, particularly if they have been disturbed or if environmental conditions influence their behaviour.

In Northland, DoC has received reports of increased daytime kiwi activity.

“These reports were during times where kiwi were influenced by several factors, including dry conditions affecting food availability, disturbance from human activity or individual variation in behaviour.”

“Fighting between kiwi is a natural part of their territorial behaviour. These encounters can be intense, especially during the breeding season or when kiwi compete for territories or resources such as food. Both males and females display this type of behaviour. While injuries can occur, fatal fights are rare.”

Backyard Kiwi’s Todd Hamilton said kiwi are territorial birds and fighting was not unusual among them.

Backyard Kiwi’s Todd Hamilton said kiwi are pretty territorial and the dry conditions are pushing them further out of their territory.

“The big problem is that they are exposing themselves to standard dangers. They might be fighting each other, but if there is a dog in the garden, that might be a danger for them.” He said more kiwi being sighted was a good sign and showed there was a healthy population.

“In Kerikeri, people are looking after them, which is a good thing.”

Save the Kiwi Northland regional co-ordinator Emma Craig said it was typical of them to be fighting as they are tough birds.

“It’s typical of what is captured in that video, they ignored everything around them when they were fighting.”

“With Northland experiencing so many dry months they are coming closer to homes in hopes to getting to damper grounds, to they can be turning up in unexpected places and that could mean they encounter dogs. Good dog control is very important.”