Trail camera footage at Te Matuku shows that the first Waiheke kiwi chick has hatched – and there could soon be more on the way.
Gulf News reported in August that the first pair of North Island Brown kiwi relocated to the island in May from nearby Pōnui Island appeared to have laid two eggs, and the first hatchling has local teams excited.
“We’re absolutely stoked,” says Save The Kiwi dog specialist Emma Craig. “This is a huge milestone for the kiwi released earlier this year, and we’ll be monitoring the chicks through trail cameras.”
Craig says it is likely that the chick hatched sometime within the last couple of weeks.
The transmitter of the male kiwi indicates that he is still incubating a second egg so we may see another chick in the coming days.
“After this next egg hatches, the pair may nest again this season,” Craig says.
More adult kiwi will be translocated from Pōnui Island to Waiheke in early 2026. • Avneesh Vincent
More to come in the next edition of Gulf News….
