Kiwi in Northland are continuing to take desperate measures as they struggle to deal with hot, dry conditions. They have been seen sitting in streams to cool off and foraging for food in daylight, and while some rain and cooler temperatures over recent days will have given some respite, Kiwi Coast Far North co-ordinator Lesley Baigent does not expect that relief to last.
The birds were continuing to resort to a variety of survival tactics.
"Firstly, they're seeking shade and cooler nesting sites. They're nesting in cool, damp areas like drains or culvert pipes, in deep rock crevices in the bush and waterways and hollows in the banks of creeks and streams," she said.
Adult males sitting on nests were doing it hard, especially if they were exposed to the sun or far from reliable water. Some had been found with their egg close to the nest entrance, possibly to stop it overheating.
"Birds have no sweat glands, so they can't sweat to cool off like we do. Instead they pant, a little like a dog but more efficiently, with less water loss," Lesley said.