Kiwi milestone gets closer day by day

The arrival of the long awaited milestone 1500th kiwi chick hatch is getting closer by the day, and eggs are still steadily arriving at Rainbow Springs' Kiwi Encounter.

Included among the eggs in incubation are three with a distinct blue tinge. Relatively rare, the blue colour is due to variations of mineral content in the mother's diet.

The 1500th hatch, which marks a milestone in kiwi conservation, is getting close and the chick could arrive in the next few days.

Kiwi Encounter kiwi husbandry manager Claire Travers said predicting when an egg would hatch was an art in itself.

"It involves candling - shining a bright light on the egg - to reveal what stage of development the egg is at and also the health of the embryo.

"It's like waiting for a human baby to be born though, mother nature tends to make its own mind up as to when it actually happens."

Kiwi Encounter's work is integral for kiwi conservation. Most kiwi chicks don't survive in the wild due to predators such as stoats, so Department of Conservation staff lift the partially incubated eggs from their burrows and deliver them to Kiwi Encounter to incubate and hatch.

After hatching, the team raises the chicks to a 'stoat-proof' weight of 1kg before relasing them back into the wild.

Kiwi Encounter also plays an important part in helping with kiwi research. The team is currently looking into making improvements to the artificial kiwi diet, lighting in nocturnal enclosures, the role of bacteria in egg shell contamination and coccidia (gut parasites) treatment trials.

Kiwi Encounter's kiwi conservation work is funded by Rainbow Springs owner Ngai Tahu Tourism, sponsorship and public donations.

To donate, or sponsor a kiwi, visit http://www.rainbowsprings.co.nz/donate