New Zealand records 1st brown wild kiwi births in Wellington in 150 years

Conservationists found two brown kiwi chicks in New Zealand's capital where the Capital Kiwi Project was reintroduced a year ago.

In a major boost to conservation efforts of the national bird of New Zealand, conservationists registered the first wild Kiwi births in Wellington in over 150 years.

Representational picture. (Website of Department of Conservation)

The conservationists found two brown kiwi chicks in New Zealand's capital where the Capital Kiwi Project was reintroduced a year ago. The kiwi chicks were found in Makara, a suburb just 25 minutes from Wellington’s city center. Due to their birth, the birds' total has reached 65 in the region.

Under the Capital Kiwi Project, the two newborn kiwi chicks will be monitored using transmitters.

Capital Kiwi Project

The mission of the project is "to restore a large-scale wild kiwi population to Wellington’s backyard." The project also aims to protect kiwis from introduced predators – specifically, stoats.

Kiwis, the flightless birds which form an integral part of the island nation's culture and identity, had a huge population of around 12 million in New Zealand at one stage.

According to the ‘Save the Kiwi’ charity, the birds number around 68,000 nowadays. According to New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, the kiwi population is declining at an average of 2% a year, mostly due to predators like stoats, cats, dogs and ferrets.

Massive threat to kiwis before reaching adulthood

According to a report by CNN which cited ‘Save the Kiwi’ , 95% of wild born kiwis in New Zealand are killed before they reach adulthood.

“Really the only issue for an adult kiwi is roaming dogs. Where they get hammered is stoats eating the chicks before they get up to their fighting weight,” Capital Kiwi Project team leader Paul Ward told CNN earlier this year.