Kiwi chicks set for island idyll

Michelle Whybrow (Auckland Zoo senior keeper) releases kiwi Tuatahi into his borough. Photo / Jason Oxenham.

Three lucky kiwi chicks will kick back for the summer on one of the Hauraki Gulf's most idyllic islands.

The release of the brown kiwi from green carry boxes to specially prepared burrows yesterday marked a milestone in a partnership between Auckland Zoo and the Rotoroa Island Trust (RIT) that will ultimately introduce 20 species to the picturesque sanctuary.

Weeks-old chicks Tuatahi, Atarangi and Ngawari -- whose names respectively translate to "first", "shadow" and "good-natured", had been hatched from eggs collected from Te Mata in Coromandel.

On reaching 1.2kg, the trio will be large enough to have a chance against predators and will be reintroduced to a 2500ha mainland protected area cared for by Thames Coast Kiwi Care.

It's possible fewer than 50 Coromandel brown kiwi - one of the rarest distinct types of the bird - remain in the land the group protects, out of a total Coromandel population of 1500.

With more kiwi due on Rotoroa next month, it's hoped the pest-free island could eventually become a creche for up to 20 chicks each year.

RIT chairman Barrie Brown said a major part of the Rotoroa wildlife project, which is planned to last 25 years, was involving children in conservation. "It feels appropriate that their feathered namesake is among species we'll manage here, and will play a part in inspiring these future conservationists."

Michelle Whybrow (Auckland Zoo senior keeper) shows kiwi Tuatahi to Rotoroa Island locals. Photo / Jason Oxenham.

Zoo director Jonathan Wilcken said kiwi had always been a natural choice when looking at what species could find protection on Rotoroa.

"Kiwi is the first thing we think of that represents wild New Zealand. On the back of a hero species like the kiwi, we can introduce a whole lot of other things."

The kiwi join the already introduced saddleback and whitehead, with other creatures such as mudfish and giant weta to follow in the next few years.