Haast Kiwis in Southland creches on the move

Wednesday, 9 December 2015

Department of Conservation biodiversity ranger Sian Reynolds, of Haast, with two of the five Haast kiwis that were transferred to Fiordland's Coal Island on Tuesday afternoon. These two birds, Aumangea, left, and Hagrid, right, have both been living and growing on Te Anau's Centre Island.

Haast kiwis are finding breeding success in Kiwi creches across Southland.

Department of Conservation biodiversity ranger Sian Reynolds said there were 300 Haast kiwis living in the Haast range between the Waiatoto and Arawhata rivers in South Westland.

'They're the most critically endangered kiwi species in New Zealand,' Reynolds said.

Eggs were taken from the adult kiwis in kiwi creche/kohanga sites around Southland and were sent to the West Coast Wildlife Centre in Franz Josef, where they were fattened up, she said.

The chicks were reared in captivity until they were 'stoat-proof', when they were released back into the Haast Tokoeka Sanctuary or to one of the predator-free kiwi creche/kohanga sites, Reynolds said.

'Once the birds reach about 1.3kg they are moved to kohanga sites, which are predator-free,' Reynolds said.

'We've released 15 birds this year from a population of 300.'

When the birds were at the sites, staff would cut the transmitters off them and let them run free, she said.

Once the kohanga sites were full, they would go through with detector dogs and remove the adult kiwis.

Four birds would be leaving the Orokonui Ecosanctuary, with three heading to Coal Island in Fiordland and one going to Pomona Island on Lake Manapouri, she said.

Two birds were taken from Centre island on Lake Te Anau and would also head to Coal Island.

The birds in creches had a health check every month to make sure they are putting on weight and wean them off supplementary feed, Reynolds said.

The recovery programme aimed to restore the abundance and genetic diversity of Haast kiwis on the West Coast and to establish a breeding population across the predator-free sites, she said.