In areas with no pest control, just 5% percent of hatched kiwi chicks make it to adulthood

Domestic dogs are a huge problem for kiwi

One dog left to roam can wipe out an entire local population

Dogs kill adult birds - the breeding population

They are part of why Northland kiwi have a life expectancy of just 13 years compared to nearly 50 in other parts of the country

Things we can do:
Control our dogs so that they never meet a kiwi
Have our dogs kiwi aversion trained regularly, remembering it's no guarantee

Domestic and feral cats are also a problem for kiwi survival.

Cats kill kiwi chicks

Cats kill other native bird species

Living in a kiwi zone, here's some things we can do:
Keep them in at night
Feed them well
Neuter or spay our cats
When our cats die, consider not replacing them

Vehicles kill kiwi

DoC have had 75 reported killed by cars on our peninsula (Redcliffes Rd / Rangitane Rd / Opito Bay Rd) since 1992. Who knows how many have been unreported

Driving at night, let's slow down and keep a close eye out for them on the road

In areas where they aren't controlled, stoats kill more than 50% of all kiwi chicks

They also take a big toll on other native birds, weta and lizards

Possums eat kiwi eggs and kill adult kiwi and chicks

They also prey on other native bird's eggs and chicks

They eat kiwi habitat and compete with kiwi for burrows

Rats and mice are food for the kiwi's predators and their presence helps to keep populations of cats, stoats and other mustelids high


Ship rats are climbers and eat native birds eggs and chicks


They eat insects and the fruit and seeds that feed birds and allow the forest to regenerate

Still with us? One last thing...

If your dog starts barking at a upturned dinghy on the beach lead him/her away quietly.
There's a good chance it's a kiwi resting up under there.
It happened at Opito Bay this week, not the first time...