Whangārei Heads couple find kiwi in sleepout

The kiwi was ushered outside where it ran off (stock image). Photo / Getty Images

By Finn Blackwell - RNZ

A couple staying with friends near Whangārei Heads have been surprised by a special guest over the holidays after finding a kiwi in the sleepout they were staying in.

The pair had left the doors open to cool down the room.

As they were getting ready for bed, they spotted a little brown kiwi tucked in the corner.

The bird was carefully picked up and placed outside where it ran off into the dark.

One of the people involved posted what happened on social media, describing the experience as wonderful.

“I fetched the others who likewise thought I was joking!” he wrote.

“The kiwi was very calm, although I suspect the light would have blinded him. I carefully ushered him into a place where I carefully picked him up and placed him outside, where he scooted off into the night.”

Forest & Bird regional conservation manager for Waikato and Taranaki, Elvisa van der Leden, told RNZ she believed the kiwi might have been a lost juvenile.

“[Kiwi] have terrible eyesight,” she said.

“They navigate more with their sense of smell...”

It was more likely there was bush near the sleepout where the kiwi was found, van der Leden said, and that it just wandered into the house not realising it wasn’t outside any more, rather than the bird actively seeking shelter inside.

Getting instructions from experts was important when dealing with a wild kiwi or other animal, she said.

“You can transfer germs or disease on to them without realising it, and they can do the same back to you.”

“Waiting for a [Department of Conservation] ranger to provide instructions is always the best thing to do as the first point of call.”

Van der Leden said it was very easy to accidentally hurt kiwi.

“They have a very specific biology, their ribcage area is actually quite vulnerable so it requires trained experts to handle them without harming them,” she said.

Department of Conservation biodiversity liaison Jess Scrimgeour said it was best to let kiwi find their own way out.

“Clear the way out and you can gently usher the bird if needed. Give it space if it seems stressed.”

She was urging people not to pick up kiwi.

“They have under-developed wing and chest muscles and lack a sternum [breastbone]. This makes them particularly vulnerable to crushing injuries,” she said.