the elusive Kiwi and other birds

Black Swans

White faced Heron

Kea

White Heron

Morepork Owl

Ok - I have been in many forests and areas where there are signs indicating that Kiwi live in the said area but not a peep or rustle indicating the elusive bird is present. In sheer frustration I headed out to Willow Bank tonight to see the little blighters. Unfortunately, the kiwis are in a night house and you are not allowed to speak or take any flash photographs. So I have seen 5 brown kiwis but was not able to get any photos. There are 4 types of Kiwi with the brown being the most common with 35,000 mainly in the north island. Kiwis are endangered and amazing. Thye lay the largest egg for their body weight of any bird in the world. Roughly the egg is 2/3's the mother's body size. She is so large at the end of the gestation that she can not eat for the last week or so . Dad incubates the egg after the poor Mom lays this monster. The chick has a huge egg sack attached which it feeds on for 5- 10 days. Mom and Dad abandon the chick as soon as it is born so the egg sack is the only thing that will keep it going those first few days. After the sack is gone the chick lives as a completely independent bird- there is a lesson here for us cosseting parents perhaps. 

Anyway, the problem is not actually in the breeding process but rather the risk of predators from mammals brought into NZ. Stouts, possoms, dogs, cats and rats destroy the eggs. Without assistance from nature reserves and incubation programs the kiwi would be wiped out. 

The ones I saw tonight were amazing. About the size of a Hare - they scuttled in brush and were quite shy and secretive. They have nostrils in the end of their beak. They are named after the call they make- kiwi-. This is a theme in New Zealand as the Tui, Morepork Owl and Kiwi are all named after the call they make. Clearly some major imagination issues down here. 

Saw the above mentioned Morepork Owl which is super tiny. White Faced Heron, White Heron , Kea and Wood Pidgeons tonight. The Kea is an alpine parrot that strips rubber from cars for the fun of it. They eat nectar and honey which is plentiful here in NZ. 

Off to Wellington tomorrow night and a trip to Zealandia - one of the premier nature reserves in the souther hemisphere. Perhaps I will catch one of those elusvie kiwis then.