National Kiwi Hatchery

High on Fran’s New Zealand list was to see Kiwi birds. However, they are nocturnal and very hard to see in the wild. Kiwis are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand. New Zealand doesn’t have any native mammals, except for a few bat species, so with the introduction by humans of predators such as dogs, stoats, possums, rats and others, the kiwi populations have declined. There are hatcheries across the country that incubate, hatch, brood, and raise young chicks until they are big enough to have a surviving chance in the wild. This is greatly helping the kiwis, especially until the other pests are eradicated. We couldn’t take photos inside, but we saw 3 kiwis in nocturnal enclosure, we saw eggs incubating, an egg in the hatching process, a new chick that hatched yesterday, and some young chicks in the brooders (one of which we saw get its weight check and it is now big enough to go in the outside enclosure! The handler showed us its little vestigial wings), and the outside enclosures. It was really neat! Such a cool bird!! Here are some kiwi facts: -Kiwi are ratites, related to other flightless birds like ostrich, emu, and cassowary. -There are 5 species of kiwi, all endemic to New Zealand -It has loose feathers that are more like fur and unlike other birds the feathers moult throughout the year. -It is the only bird in the world with nostrils at the end of its beak. -Its sense of smell is second to none. -It has no tail feathers but does have whiskers, like a cat. -It has marrow in its bones, just like a human. -Very unusually, females have two ovaries, most birds have only one. -Kiwi eggs are large in comparison to the mother kiwi, and are among the largest eggs of any bird. A single egg can weigh up to 20% of the mother kiwi's body weight. A female typically lays four eggs in a season. The male incubates the eggs for 74-90 days -it takes 5 days for the kiwi to hatch. When first hatched, the belly of the chick is swollen with yolk which will sustain them for their first few days. -Kiwi birds are typically monogamous and mate for life. - The main breeding season for kiwi birds is from June to March, when food is most abundant. -In the wild, female kiwi birds usually lay their first eggs at 3–5 years old. Outside the hatchery they had a Kiwi Fruit orchard. Kiwis are a winter fruit, you pick in late May or early June after the first frost. They grow on vines like grapes.