Drought hurting NZ's iconic bird

PHOTO

Kiwi have been found staggering around during the day, dehydrated and starving in New Zealand's North Island. [AAP]

Kerri Ritchie, New Zealand correspondent

Last Updated: Tue, 9 Feb 2010 19:06:00 +1100

Drier than usual conditions in New Zealand's North Island are hurting the country's iconic bird, the kiwi.

Kiwi, which usually comes out at night to feed on insects, have been found staggering around during the day, dehydrated and starving.

Around Whangarei, in New Zealand's far north, birds are walking right up to people's doorsteps looking for food and water.

The area has been getting less than half its usual rainfall.

Robert Webb runs the Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre.

He says the ground is so dry, the birds can't poke their beaks through it to feed.

"So you've got little kiwi chicks that are coming out of their burrows into the world, that are having difficulty feeding because they are little fellows."

In recent months, Whangarei has only been getting about a third of its average rainfall and Mr Webb says kiwi can't hack the heat.

"They have very thick, feathery coats and being a brown colour, you hold a kiwi out in the sun for a few seconds and you will feel just how hot the feathers get," he said.

And he says tourists are finding dehydrated birds.

"Some tourists were walking through a park ... and they went across a little paddock and a little footbridge and as they want to step across, the guy noticed something in this little wee dirty puddle of water that was left there," he said.

"He had a look and said, 'hey that looks like one of those kiwi'. Now if those people hadn't picked that little chick up, he would have been dead by that day because it has just been so hot, so dry."

Kiwi are also feeling heat of a different kind in the South Island. New Zealand Police are investigating six fires at a sanctuary near Franz Josef.

The area is home to the rare rowi kiwi and there are only about 350 left.

Department of Conservation spokesman Julian Tovey says the arsonist could be someone with a grudge or it could be hunters.

"There are definite talks on whether it could just be hunters trying to sort of get some area for regrowth so deer come in and then they can have a hunt later on," he said.

Mr Tovey does not know yet if any kiwi died in the fires.