Pet dogs taking toll of our national bird

Pet dogs are running amok, making a meal out of Northland kiwi.

The Bay Bush Action Trust has a picture on its website of about 60 kiwi killed around the region over the past year.

The population of brown kiwi in Northland, estimated at 8000 in 2008, is the highest in the country. But only 5 per cent of Northland kiwi survive to adulthood, numbers are down 90 per cent on the tally a century ago and the average age of kiwi in the region is just 25 years, while in the rest of New Zealand it's 55-60 years.

"Even the most harmless beloved dog can be a kiwi killer," Bay Bush Action trustee Brad Windust warned yesterday, advising owners of pet dogs to keep their animals on a leash when in areas kiwi might live.

The Department of Conservation acting kiwi programme manager in Whangarei, Don Robertson, blames small pet dogs for most kiwi deaths caused by canines.

"Farm dogs and hunting dogs are generally under control," he said.

"It's the little yappy ones that are just that - little, yappy and often out of control. They can kill kiwi."

The kiwi's lack of a breastbone meant a bite from any dog, large or small, could be fatal.

"Any dog can kill a kiwi. It takes only the smallest nudge to crush the bird's chest," Mr Robertson said.

Kiwi made an ideal target for dogs because they were "nice smelling" and would run away when disturbed.

Mr Robertson said dog owners needed to take responsibility for keeping their pets on leads.

"People believe they have a right to have their dogs running around off the leash, or they say 'My dog wouldn't do that [kill kiwi]'," he said.

"Of course the dog would kill the birds. It is a very devastating toll. It is significant."

Bay Bush Action is a charitable trust run by volunteers to reduce pest numbers in the 4294ha Opua State Forest behind Waitangi, Paihia and Opua townships.

Mr Windust said that over the past three years trust members had killed more than 500 possums, 600 rats, 23 stoats and nine feral cats on a 50ha bush block that backs on to the forest, bringing a big increase in native birds and the recovery of some big trees which had looked like they were going to die.

Visit: www.baybushaction.org.nz