The birth of kiwi chicks in the capital of New Zealand created a sensation

“They’re ridiculously cute”

Kiwi chicks born in the wild are the first in Wellington in a century. New Zealand’s national symbol is also one of the most endangered birds, and conservationists believe the kiwi has not been seen in the New Zealand capital for generations.

Two kiwi chicks have been born in the wild outside Wellington for the first time in more than 100 years, a year after the national bird was reintroduced to New Zealand’s capital.

The furry, flightless kiwi is one of New Zealand’s most endangered birds, and conservationists believe the species has been absent from the capital for generations, The Guardian writes.

In November 2022, 11 kiwis were released into vast, rolling farmland at Makara, 25 minutes’ drive west of Wellington city centre. A further fifty-two birds were released between February and May this year, with a further 200 to be released over the next five years.

The project has been so successful because of the enthusiasm of the community, said Paul Ward, founder of the Capital Kiwi project, which began six years ago.

More than 100 landowners have given permission for a project to install 4,600 stoat traps across the bird’s new 24,000ha habitat, making it the largest intensive stoat trapping network of its kind in the country.

Ward said the trapping network was as important as the project’s support network.

“Kiwi breeding is deeply rewarding,” Ward said, adding that the birth of the chicks was a “very nice milestone” that proved the area was suitable habitat.

Ward said the project had decided not to name the two-week-old chicks and had not made a habit of providing updated information on individual kiwis because it was aiming to grow a large wild population.

There were once an estimated 12 million kiwis in New Zealand, but introduced predators and habitat loss have brought their numbers to an alarming low of 68,000 at the latest estimate. Conservation efforts such as the Capital Kiwi project are slowly beginning to increase kiwi numbers.

Adult kiwis are vulnerable to large predators such as dogs, but can fight off small pests with their large fighting claws. Kiwi chicks, however, are completely vulnerable to predators, especially stoats, writes The Guardian.

Only a quarter of the kiwi released in the area are tracked, Ward said, meaning there is a high chance that more chicks will be found. But he warned: “These chicks now need to fend for themselves in the wild. The coming months are vital as they grow and gain weight to the point where they can fight off stoats with their large claws.”

Ward said he hopes his project will help educate the public about the birds’ “endurance and fighting spirit”: “But we have to admit, they’re ridiculously cute.”