Kiwi keeps eggs in one nest

A rare find of three kiwi eggs in one nest has amazed Northland conservationists and sparked a maternity mystery.

The hat trick of eggs was found earlier this month by Department of Conservation (DOC) ranger Patrick Miller on private land near Purua, 27km north-west of Whangarei.

Mr Miller had checked about 560 nests over the last eight years, but this was the first time he had found three fresh eggs together.

There had been a few with three eggs, but one had always been left over from a previous clutch.

However, tests revealed the fresh eggs were laid by two kiwis - one of them the male's current partner.

The male, fitted with a transmitter device, was "divorced or widowed" from his first mate some time in 1997 or 1998, Mr Miller said.

He had taken up with a different female whose eggs were larger.

"If it happens that this egg is from that original female ... it shows she is still around and is trying to get her ex-husband back."

Mr Miller said male kiwi were left to incubate eggs after they were laid.

While he was not yet sure which male had fathered the smaller egg or whether it was fertilised at all, it appeared the female had saddled her ex with custody of it.

The egg was not developing so had been removed from its incubator and would be DNA tested to resolve the maternity matter.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)