Local kiwi profiles
A small sample of the kiwi at Whangarei Heads are monitored by radio to track their location and get information about growth, survival and breeding rates. Using Todd Hamilton’s historical notes, we’ve put together an online archive which tells the story of each of our monitored birds. Reading through the profiles, you’ll get to know each bird’s personality, and have a rare insight into the day to day lives of kiwi. You can also see our monitored birds and their history on a Google map.
Wally hatched in December 2006 at the McGrath’s farm at Purua. In the same nest was also Wally’s brother Lambert with their dad George.
Wally is named after Wally Lambert a farmer from many years ago who looked after the native bush on his farm where George now lives.
Wally was transferred to Limestone Island at 10 days old weighing only 260g.
Wheres Wally?
Wally has an extraordinary back story, he was monitored from 2006-2009, until he dropped his transmitter – miraculously 9 years – later Todd found him in a burrow with Mokopuna a young female released at Parua Bay in March 2018.
To find out about Wally’s early history – scroll right down to the bottom of this page and start at PART ONE, PART TWO picks up 9 years later as we record his life from 2018 into the future.
View Wally’s full profile
Teina hatched in Ray’s nest, on Lovell’s farm back in 2015. We transferred him to Limestone Island to grow up before bringing him to the Heads. He was only 265g when we moved him and it wasn’t until over 3 years later we caught up with him again. He had grown to be a healthy young adult male of 1950g and had a bill of 104.5mm (adult males have bills less than 120mm). Teina was named by BYK proud Supporter Lionel Sands in memory of Teina Terei.
View Teina’s full profile
Murdoch is named in honour of local Parua Bay community stalwart Murdoch Ross who passed away in 2023.
Murdoch (known previously as LC1607 – our seventh chick transfer for the 2016 season) spent 6 years on Matakohe before we caught up with him again and transferred him to Parua Bay as part of the Backyard Kiwi public release there in March 2023. He was a star of the release and his namesake would have been very proud of his good work engaging kiwi with locals and helping kiwi recovery in the area.
View Murdoch’s full profile
Waewae is Pakipaki’s mate and lives in and around the “Horse Paddock” in McLeod Bay. Pakipaki was released on the Leaheys’ place in McLeod Bay back in 2017.
After years of monitoring Pakipaki, we finally caught her with a boy in the pampas in May 2023. He didn’t have an ID chip so he is a wild hatched and grown kiwi (thanks to Backyard Kiwi stoat trapping, kiwi saver/1080 pulses on Manaia and good local dog control!). As it is the dads that sit on the eggs we put a radio transmitter on him and removed Pakipaki’s, thanking her for the good work that she has done to engage locals with their kiwi!
View Waewae’s full profile
