The little grey kiwi has been sighted on the mainland of New Zealand for the first time in nearly fifty years. The rare bird species was last seen in the wild in 1978 and was thought to be lost.
The bird is locally known as the kiwi pukupuku, which means the swollen kiwi. Despite the name, it is the smallest species of the New Zealand flightless bird.
A local hunter first reported seeing the bird in March on the west coast of the South Island. A ranger from the Department of Conservation was sent to the site to confirm that it was indeed a little grey kiwi.
“I immediately heard the call of two kiwis the first night. It took a few days to comb the area. Then I finally found the female,” said ranger Iain Graham. He was able to determine from feathers that it was indeed the rare species.
“It’s like finding a needle in a haystack, but we’re very excited that we found it again. The kiwi pukupuku is one of those unique species that makes New Zealand so special. I can hardly put into words how amazing this rediscovery is,” said Graham.
Kiwi is vulnerable prey for predators
The kiwi species had been thought lost on the mainland of New Zealand since the 1970s. The Department of Conservation cannot say whether the bird was simply not seen all this time, or has only recently returned. The nature organization wants to protect the kiwi well in the future anyway.
An estimated two thousand little grey kiwis live in the wild. Until recently, they were only found on islands off the coast, or in designated nature reserves. The bird species is very vulnerable to predators, such as stoats and rats.