Backyard Kiwi November 2025 update

Whangarei Heads Community Conservation Celebration BBQ

Thanks to BHCT for hosting the combined xmas BBQ at the McLeod Bay Hall last Friday night (see pic). There was a good turnout from the many Whangarei Heads Landcare groups, with folks enjoying themselves, great company, excellent shared food and heaps of happy kids. Great to hear brief updates from each group on the massive amount of community conservation work going on in the area too. What a great community looking after their backyard!

2025 another great year for Backyard Kiwi

It has been another great year for our kiwi in the Whangarei Heads/Parua Bay area.  The reasonable spring rainfall has meant plenty of kiwi tucker and a bumper breeding season.  The big crop of chicks will be doing well with reasonable feeding conditions and more importantly good stoat control. Controlled pulses of kiwisaver/1080 in bait stations on Manaia and other blocks will have cleaned out many of the trapshy stoats and we keep working hard with our quality trapping network which is picking up the juvenile stoats that are reinvading from the north and the south.

 

Take the Lead!!! Please get visitors to control their dogs

Adult kiwi have no problem fighting off a stoat but dogs are a different story.  Dogs are the number one threat to adult kiwi. Locals have worked hard to protect their kiwi by having good control of their dogs – tied up or inside at night, walked on a lead and not allowed to wander.  Over summer if you have visitors please get them to do the same – they won’t be very popular if their dog wanders!   If you see an uncontrolled dog please call Dog Control on 09 438 7513 and emphasis that you are in a kiwi area.

Backyard Kiwi monitored kiwi update for November 2025

Good feeding conditions over spring have led to a second round of nesting.

 Whangarei Heads/Parua Bay  Radio monitored kiwi:–

• Chookie–    Good news is that he has re-nested; 14 days on 14/11/25. Bad news is that there has been no radio signal since then. I don’t like calling transmitter failure usually but it seems pretty likely. His nest is in an area of pampas only 50m from where we released him in 2021.  Kerry has a trail cam nearby so he will keep a look out for him.  Update – the trail cam confirms Chookie is still there – a male kiwi with a tx on his right leg, healthy and happy (see pic).  We will let his nesting run for 100+ days then have a look to see if we can catch up with him to avoid disturbing the nest.
• Teina– In his usual valley of pampas and pines at the north end of Martins’ pine block. 9 hours of activity.  Did his tx change with Kerry and Jess Ogle who is in training. Teina was still super fat, weighing a massive 3450g. He really would benefit from a stint of nest sitting to limit his food intake.(see pic)
• Beach Girl – In the pampas in Halses’ logged pines at Ross Road.  10 hours of activity.
• Murdoch  –Nesting 21 days on 18/11/21 – the same nest burrow that he was in on 8/10/25, so it was either a very slow start to nesting or a failed attempt followed by another nest.  He is in his usual territory in Deb’s bush block between Owhiwa Road and Ross Road.  His activity is a good low 3-4 hours at this stage.
• Humphries –   He has re-nested – 4 days in on 18/11/25.   He is in the pampas /pines in a valley at the eastern end of Martins’ pine block.
• Wally –Usual area of gums and pines at end of Campbell road.  He has re-nested too; 7 days in on 11/11/25. After being a fat (3250g) single guy for 10 years he has become a lean mean nesting machine with 3 nests a year now the norm.
• Myra–  She is still settled in the middle of the Martins’ block Owhiwa Road. 10.5 hours of nightly activity.

Kiwi that have walked to other areas:

• Whareora Landcare area/NRC pines:  Te Motu Manu Hine – She is still settled in her usual area of the NRC pines behind the Money Factory.  10 hours of activity.  The recent NRC kiwi saver pulse may deter some of the summer walkers who take their dogs there this year (Fetu mama was killed by an uncontrolled dog there last xmas).
• Tamaterau/Waikaraka: Kim – She has remained in the valley up the behind  Waikaraka – towards Franklin road, in an area of pampas and scrub. Ngaire has previously confirmed a kiwi pair there from Kiwi Listening Device recordings so we presume that Kim is hanging near them for company (kiwi will move from an area where there are no kiwi calling to where they can hear other kiwi).    Hopefully a male will turn up for her or she may continue her search.
• Whanui Pine Block:  Ping – She is still in the Whanui Pine Block .  I can still get a radio signal from the end of Taraunui Road -10 hours of activity. Carl will check her more closely next time he is nearby.

Purua ONC dads

The first round of nesting has finished, 8 chicks transferred to date, some second round nesting starting:

• Moondust – 10 hours activity.  He is hanging on the steep face behind Lovell’s Irvine road woolshed. I had another go at catching up with him to remove his tx but he was too tricky.
• Buddha – In the paddock north of McGraths’ quarry, 9 hours of nightly activity.
• Macio – South Purua reserve. 10.5 hours activity.
• 64 –  Having a well-earned rest after his huge nesting stint. SW Purua Reserve.
• Tahi– Out the back of Alisons’ farm.  10.5 hours nightly activity.
• Sam –  SW  Purua reserve.   10 hours of nightly activity.
• Derek – He successfully hatched two chicks after 92 days nesting – LC2507 and LC2508 who were transferred to Matakohe/Limestone on 10/11/25.  The timing of the transfer just before good rain would have helped these chicks settle in (see pic).
• Fletcher –  After finally starting to nest last month his data stream showed that the nest failed after 48 days in November. His activity is back up to 10 hours and he is in his usual area up behind Lovells’ airstrip.
• Rua – He is hanging at the back of Alisons’ farm. He has re-nested; 4 days on 25/11/25 and 4.5 hours activity.
• Erima – In the native, in the paddock, on Hawkins’ hill.   10 hours activity
• Prime – Near the top of Hawkins’ hill.    9.5 hours nightly activity.
• Purua– Signal shows that he is on Lovell’s side of Purua reserve and no sign of nesting.  10 hours activity.

Trapping/ toxin pulses

November catches: Stoats 1, Weasels 3, Rats 85, hedgehogs 8 and possums 2.  The Kiwi saver pulses have certainly put a slow down on spring stoat catches – but we are bracing for re-invasion by juveniles from untreated areas in the next month or so.

Cheers Todd

Todd Hamilton

Backyard Kiwi Project Manager

Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum