Kiwi chicks are a sign of a successful kiwi breeding programme!
Kiwi chicks are a sign of a successful kiwi breeding programme!
There is nothing more exciting than to discover small kiwi footprints alongside larger ones, and even more exciting to find them at the top of our Hidden Valley walkway! It means our resident pair are breeding successfully.
Kiwi population numbers is an interesting topic. Every two years we do a kiwicall survey which we compare to previous surveys to see if we are trending upwards. This year we are doing a major survey which combines acoustic listeners as well as our usual manual listening. Instead of our normal 12 listening sites, we are doing manual listening at 32 sites within our project.
We listen for three nights at each site for a two hour period - yes that's 96 times. This major operation is done in the autumn when the breeding season stops which means the kiwi start calling as soon as it gets dark.
We need fine evenings with no wind, a big ask this year. The manual listening started on Thursday, April 20. Safety is important working at night so I will also be having late nights as I wait for the text from the field to say everyone is back at camp.
I received a text from one of the expert kiwi listening team members on the first night to say 21 calls heard from his listening site as he signed off safely for the night. All very exciting! We will give you an update soon on how many kiwi calls the team have recorded.
Once all of the field work is completed we will be combining all of the data to see how we are progressing. Our goal is 1000 pair of kiwi in our project area by 2020.
We look forward to seeing some of you out at Purangi on our Magical Autumn Hidden Valley Walk and Kiwi listening night.
Magical Autumn Hidden Valley Walk and Kiwi listening: Saturday, May 27, 5.45pm to late. Numbers are limited, bookings essential. Bring walking shoes and a torch. Adults $57, children $27.50 Family: $104. To book: email info@purangikiwi.co.nz or call 06 756 8925.
