Second daytime kiwi sighting in Whangārei's McLeod Bay as population grows

The one-week old chick was found in a McLeod Bay backyard over the weekend. Photo / Supplied

A second kiwi has been found during the day in McLeod Bay in as many months.

The 1-week-old chick was discovered by residents Ernie and Lorna Wuthrich on Saturday about 3pm when Ernie heard the neighbour's dog barking incessantly at the chick, which was huddled against the Wuthrichs' fence, entwined in passionfruit and jasmine vines.

Lorna quickly put her gardening gloves on and extracted the skinny kiwi, putting it in a cat cage. She then rang Whangārei Heads kiwi conservation manager Todd Hamilton, who later relocated the bird - now named Passion - to some nearby wetlands.

It was the second kiwi the Wuthrichs had discovered on their property, after one was found and relocated last month.

This adult male kiwi was found near the McLeod Bay playground last month. Photo / Supplied

It comes after an adult male kiwi was spotted near the McLeod Bay playground on January 22. In that case, the bird was relocated to a similar area as Passion.

In the last 20 years, kiwi numbers in the Whangārei Heads had increased more than 1000 per cent from 80 to about 900.

Hamilton said this growth was thanks to good community engagement with conservation practices such as keeping dogs on leads. He said the increasing frequency of kiwi sightings conveyed the importance of good dog control.

For more information on kiwi conservation, www.backyardkiwi.org.nz

What to do if you see a kiwi:

• Make sure your dog is under control
• Watch the kiwi to see if it's healthy
• Ring Backyard Kiwi on 021 114 5385
• Keep the kiwi safe and enjoy watching