About North Island Brown Kiwi

Habitat

Kiwi live in native forest, shrub lands, exotic forests and rough farmlands. They are strongly territorial and are often aggressive towards unwanted intruders.

Kiwi may have as many as 40 campsites within its territory

Kiwi roost during the day, either under the ground in burrows or under cover such as logs, windrows or thick shrub including bracken, gorse, pampas grass and native toitoi. An individual bird may have as many as 40 “campsites” within its territory and usually roosts in a different location each day. The exception is when the male kiwi is incubating eggs.

Feeding

Kiwi eat worms, spiders, insects, berries and seeds throughout the stages of their lives. Their exceptional sense of smell means they can detect food easily from leaf litter, rotting logs and soft soil. Their bill often leaves characteristic probe holes.

Kiwi feed at night and may travel one or two kilometres in search of food. In dry periods kiwi may move outside their normal territories to visit a wet or swampy area.

Breeding

Kiwi are generally monogamous and mate for life, which may be up to 30 or 40 years. The female is 20 to 30 percent larger than the male and after she has laid the eggs she leaves the male to do the incubating.

Kiwi may dig their nesting burrows up to two months before the first egg is laid. Sometimes they use an existing nest.

It’s the male’s job to dig the nesting burrow. They can use their strong legs and claws to dig a hole in the earth of a bank or slope. The nesting burrow is usually lined with an untidy array of soft leaves, grass and moss then lined with feathers. When inside, kiwi often pull leaves and sticks across the entrance as camouflage and to retain heat and moisture.

Wild kiwi breeding cycle in the Whakatane district:

April and May – birds come together to mate and maximum calling takes place

June – first clutch of two eggs laid in a nesting burrow

July to August – the male incubates the eggs for up to 80 days until the chicks hatch.

September – Chicks hatch. After a few days they are moving around and foraging on their own – under the watchful eye of the male.

November – possible second clutch of two eggs in a different nesting burrow

January and February – second clutch of chicks hatch