Kiwi Welfare and New Zealand Conservation

Kiwis are New Zealands most iconic birds, flightless and nocturnal, facing threats from introduced predators in a country with among the most ambitious predator control programs globally.

Key Facts

Kiwis are the only birds with nostrils at the tip of their beak used for finding earthworms
Their eggs are proportionally the largest of any bird relative to body size
Without predator control, kiwi chick survival rates are around 5%; with control they exceed 50%
Operation Nest Egg involves removing kiwi eggs to captivity for hatching before release into predator-free areas

Welfare Considerations

Kiwis are highly vulnerable to introduced predators including stoats, ferrets, possums, and dogs. Without intensive management, populations decline rapidly. Welfare during Operation Nest Egg involves egg collection from wild nests, artificial incubation, chick rearing in captivity, and release into predator-controlled areas. Captive-reared kiwis must develop appropriate wild behaviors before release. Dogs used for kiwi aversion training programs can accidentally injure or kill kiwis they are meant to be trained away from. Predator control using 1080 aerial drops raises welfare concerns about non-target species. The zero-invasive predator goal of Predator Free 2050 would benefit kiwi welfare enormously if achieved.

What You Can Do

Support New Zealand predator control programs including Predator Free 2050
Never take dogs into kiwi habitat without completing kiwi aversion training
Donate to Operation Nest Egg and similar intensive kiwi management programs
Advocate for resources to achieve New Zealand Predator Free 2050 goals
Learn about kiwi conservation as a model for intensive threatened species management