Kiwi Transfer Aims to Boost Hawke’s Bay Population

Conservationists from Zealandia in Wellington tonight transferred ten little spotted kiwi to Cape Sanctuary in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. The birds travel in large wooden boxes lined with ferns, ensuring paired kiwi remain together during the journey. This translocation seeks to increase the genetic diversity within Cape Sanctuary’s 130-hectare kiwi enclosure.

Zealandia’s little spotted kiwi population has risen from forty to roughly 250 since 2000. This allowed them to send birds to bolster other sanctuaries, including a previous transfer of fifteen kiwi to Cape Sanctuary last year.

Cape Sanctuary staff observe the new arrivals via trail cameras, identifying them by reflector bands. They report the kiwi are integrating with the existing population across the enclosure. Researchers continue to monitor the birds’ behavior and breeding success in their new environment.