Growing kiwi population at Whangarei Heads

Hard work by the local community has led to growing numbers of kiwi at Whangarei Heads according to research published recently in the online journal Conservation Evidence.

The Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum (WHLF) – a partnership between local Landcare groups, Northland Regional Council, NZ Landcare Trust and the Department of Conservation – has worked tirelessly since 2001 to protect and monitor kiwi populations.

Don McKenzie, Biosecurity Senior Programme Manager for the Northland Regional Council, says the efforts of the community are paying off - and there’s now a scientific paper to confirm it.

“Kiwi numbers are estimated through an annual kiwi call count conducted by volunteers from the local community and last year, kiwi call rates were the highest recorded at Whangarei Heads since monitoring began in 2001,” says Mr McKenzie.

“A decade of trapping has suppressed numbers of pests such as ferrets, stoats and possums on the peninsula, pests which are serious predators of kiwi eggs and chicks.”

Project Manager Todd Hamilton – who is the public face of the WHLF’s ‘Backyard Kiwi’ project – says engaging with the local community is an important part of his role.

“Residents of Whangarei Heads literally have kiwi in their backyards”, says Mr Hamilton.  “Efforts for the past decade have focused on ensuring people know this, that they understand how special that is, and what they can do to ensure their grandchildren still have kiwi in their backyards.”

“The recovery of kiwi populations at Whangarei Heads would not be possible without the dedicated hard work of the people who live in the area, as well as support from funding organisations, the Northland Regional Council and public donations”, says Mr Hamilton.

An ‘I heard a kiwi’ community listening night organised by the WHLF recently gave residents the chance to hear kiwi calling in their local area.

“They don’t really need to come to an organised event – we just sat on the footy field of the Whangarei Heads Primary School and heard three kiwi calling from nearby bush, pine forest and the back of a neighbour’s garden in 30 minutes”, says Mr Hamilton.

“However, the evening gave people the prompt they needed to get out and listen to their kiwi.”

The real listening work is done during May and June with people from the area spending eight hours over four nights at 21 locations noting down every kiwi call.

“That so many people are willing to sit outside on hilly vantage points during winter evenings typifies the commitment of the community to keeping kiwi in their backyards,” says Mr Hamilton.

Updates on the progress of the kiwi population are posted on the WHLF website at: www.backyardkiwi.org.nz

Meanwhile, Mr McKenzie says that although kiwi are beginning to increase in numbers, uncontrolled dogs still threaten their survival.

“Dogs kill both young and adult kiwi, making them an even more serious threat than smaller predators such as stoats,” he says.

“The WHLF is working to encourage responsible dog ownership so that future generations can also enjoy the sound of kiwi calling on Whangarei Heads.”

Further details about the research is available at: www.ConservationEvidence.com