Fluffy Kiwi Chicks Born in the Wild: a First in 150 Years!

For the first time in a century and a half, wild kiwi chicks were born outside New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington. This is a testament to the conservation efforts to save the easily recognizable flightless iconic national bird.

“This is very special for the team which has been working hard for the last few years,” says Capital Kiwi Project founder Paul Ward. “Everyone was so supportive. Who isn’t keen to care for kiwi?”

New Zealand is home to five species of kiwis, all living in different parts of the country: the North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli), tokoeka (Apteryx australis), rowi (Apteryx rowi), great spotted kiwi (Apteryx haastii) and little spotted kiwi/kiwi pukupuku (Apteryx owenii). According to Save The Kiwi, no more than 24,500 of the brown kiwi species are left in the wild. As part of the project to restore a thriving kiwi population in the Wellington area, some 60 adult birds were released into the wild last year. And this year, four fluffy brown kiwi chicks were found in the hills surrounding Wellington. It is the first time kiwis have hatched in the wild, in this area, in 150 years. The chicks will be monitored until they weigh 800 grams when they are large enough to fend for themselves against the stoat, a smaller member of the mustelid family, a predator of the kiwi.