Kowhai Lane Kiwi

Kiwi are fairly common around the village, and we are pretty sure they come into our gardens. In fact a few summers ago a guest phoned me late evening hat the security light was turning on and off. So up I went, and turning down the drive way there was a little Kiwi bottom vanishing around the corner.

this morning when reviewing last nights security cam clips we were not surprised  to see a Kiwi on the drive way.  At a guess looking at the foliage in comparison it is quite a young bird. And it seems a bit agitated. Maybe a cat about. The image above can be seen on road signs around the village….. a gentle reminder to motorists to be aware, as sadly there has been the odd bird skittled. 

Cats

Stewart Island has a large population of feral cats and these have a significant impact on our native birds. We do from time to time see them, particularly queens with kittens around the roads. They are very very capable hunters.

And it’s quite legal to have a pet cat, though Environment Southland rules demand it be chipped and de sexed. But the issue is there is no requirement for them to be kept from roaming, especially at night. Way back when I was ranger here Tim Te Aika (Run holder at Mason Bay) told me he thought after around 9 months of age Kiwi seemed to be able to fight off cats, but were very vulnerable up until then.

So if ours is a juvenile I wouldn’t like to take bets on it’s long term survival chances.