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Thanks to an active intervention program, at Whangarei Heads we really do have kiwi in our backyard.

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August 5th, 2015

2015 July Update

Hi all.

Kiwi Call Counts 2014-2015
The data is in from 19 listening sites throughout the Whangarei Heads. Thank you to all the hard working listeners for braving the cold, listening hard and doing the paperwork.  Thanks also to Fay Clayton and Wendy Newbold for all the extra data entry that they did.

 

The results are summarised in the two  tables (2015 summary below).  Overall results are flat with slightly more kiwi counted this season – 205 compared to 195 in 2014, and the average call count per station slightly down at 6.4 calls/hour compared to 6.8 calls/hour last season (including listening device data makes the averages 7.1 and 7.0 calls/hour). So this means we heard a few more kiwi but they were calling less per individual.

The flat results are probably more a result of the difficult listening conditions this season (lots of windy nights) and a slow kiwi breeding season rather than a lack of population growth. The slow kiwi breeding season is reflected by only 3 of the 7 radio monitored kiwi nesting to date and may be a result of dry autumn conditions.

w-Summary-of-WHLF-2015-call-counts-table(1)-(version-1)

The 205 kiwi counted in approximately 40% of the kiwi habitat at the Heads translates into a kiwi population of at least 513 and probably more likely 675 adult kiwi when a sex ratio of 1:1 is used.  Kiwi listening does not pick up all the female kiwi because they call less often and are harder to hear due to a deeper call note than the high pitched males. So we counted 135 males and only 70 females when in reality there will be around 135 females in the listening area.
We used specialised kiwi call electronic listening devices at two of the sites. The benefit of the electronic devices is that they can be left out for reasonably long periods compared to the 4 nights done by the human listeners. They are also better at recording calls than some of us listeners – our listening is definitely fading with age in some cases. The devices however are unable to give the direction of calls and thus a count of kiwi present – so a good human listener is still better!

The information we get from the call counts is crucial as it is still the best way to monitor the kiwi population, both on a local level and in the wider Whangarei Heads area and beyond.

Read the summary of average call counts for all sites from 2002 to 2015. plus a summary of this year’s listening for each station giving M and F calls, and the actual number of M and F kiwi estimated at each site by using the directional sheets.

Kiwi Predator Control Programme (Funded by NRC and Kiwi Coast):
Catches for July:  Stoats 1, Weasels 1, Cats 1, Rats 65, Hedgehogs 3 and 11 possums. I am still using hens eggs as the lure for the winter and will change back to salted rabbit next month.

Radio Tracked Kiwi at Whangarei Heads (Funded by NRC)

The nesting season is underway with 3 of the monitored males now nesting.
What your radio tracked Backyard Kiwi have been up to:

Waka – In his usual area at Mckenzie Bay. His nightly activity is still high at an average of 12 hours. Not looking like nesting yet.

Darwin – At Lamb Road quarry. 9 hours nightly activity, down from 11.5 hours so may be looking at nesting.

Lambert – Usual area Taurikura Ridge. He has re-nested after his early season nest failed. His nightly activity is a steady 4 hours which is good for early nesting. Hatch is due mid-September.

Whitu – At Reotahi above the freezing works – Nesting with 3.5 hours activity per night. Hatch is due late August.

Charlie – Has moved a few 100m south of his usual area and has been hanging out on the roadside near the Craig road intersection area – our high road kill area!! His activity is dropping.

Dallas – Usual area at the Hill’s place south of the Heads School. Nesting with 3.5 hours activity.  Hatch is due late August.

EB – Still in the scrub near Kerr Road.  12 hours activity.

Another Road Kill
A dead unmonitored kiwi was found at Our Road at the North end of McLeod Bay recently (photo attached).  Rolf from Doc got x-rays taken that confirmed that it was hit by something big that broke several bones (a car!).  This is the 4th road kill at the Heads in 12 months, kiwi senses work mainly on sound and smell so they are not good with fast moving cars – please watch out for them!  All these road killed kiwi were wild hatched birds (not kiwi that we have released into the area) so the silver lining is that this is a good indicator of how well the trapping network is dealing with incoming stoats.  Without the trapping it is unlikely that these kiwi would have had the opportunity to grow to adult size (95% of chicks are killed in untrapped areas elsewhere).

w-17.07-dead kiwi on Our rd

BNZONE program (funded by Kiwis for Kiwi):
The ONE dad’s out at Riponui and Rarewarewa have also been getting nesting underway.

Riponui
Rippy – Usual area, Riponui Reserve. Nesting, 5 hours activity, hatch due mid September.

Rewarewa
Ray – Usual area, Lovell’s Farm. Nesting , 5 hours activity, hatch due mid-September.

The Acrobat – Usual area, Lovell’s Farm, 11.5 hours activity.

68355BA – Lovell’s quarry area, 11 hours activity.

64E2930 – At SW end of reserve. Nesting in deep burrow. 4 hours activity and hatch due early September.

Sancho – Nesting in the base of a Kohekohe tree in Lovell’s Bush. 4 hours activity and hatch due early September.

Chocolate – In paddock in pampas bush. Activity 10 hours per night.

The Boxer – Had a failed nest last month according to the transmitter data, now has 11 hours activity per night.

When monitoring these birds last month I came across the bones of a long dead kiwi scattered in the bush.  There was an ID leg band with the bones and it turned out to be a kiwi called “Black Feet” that Doc had monitored from 1994 to 2000.  No obviously broken bones so his death is a bit of a mystery.

w-15.07-Blackfeet's bones

Cheers
Todd Hamilton
Backyard Kiwi Project Manager
Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum

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