26 Kiwi to be Released on Motuihe Is

The kiwi will travel from Kapiti Island, joining the original 14 birds released last year to make a population of 40 breeding adults.

Taking just 30 minutes to reach by boat from downtown Auckland, Motuihe Island now hosts the closest wild kiwi population to the country’s biggest city; a bold landmark event managed by DOC, Motuihe Trust, tangata whenua and BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust.

A ceremony will mark the release of the birds on Thursday 11 March which the Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson, ARC Chairman Mike Lee and Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye will attend among other invited guests.

Motuihe Trust chairman, John Laurence says the release of these kiwi is cause for celebration for New Zealanders and for everyone involved in this mammoth conservation effort.

‘Literally thousands of volunteers and DOC staff have worked to make this week a reality; replanting native trees and eradicating pests like rats and stoats. Now we have an island that everyone can enjoy and where our national icon can thrive.

‘Kiwi footprints can frequently be seen on the beaches and overnight campers often hear the call of kiwi; the birds released last year seem to be doing well on the island,’ says Mr Laurence.

Since 2003 more than 235,000 native trees have been planted on the Island by volunteers with a further 50,000 seedlings to be added this year.

Minister of Conservation, Kate Wilkinson says the release of little spotted kiwi onto the island is one of the most exciting steps toward long term restoration in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park and is a massive achievement for the Motuihe Trust and its volunteers.

‘Motuihe Island really is one of Hauraki Gulf Marine Park’s ‘Treasure Islands’. It’s a restoration project that everyone who has worked on can be very proud of. 

‘This is a significant opportunity for people to experience their national icon up-close, but it also calls on us to be ever-more vigilant to the reintroduction of threats to this endangered species.’

Dogs pose a significant threat to kiwi and are not permitted on Motuihe and other conservation islands in the Hauraki Gulf. Pests such as rats, mice and stoats have the potential to wipe out populations of endangered species on the island. All visitors to the island must check their bags and shoes to check for vermin before going ashore.

Mr Laurence says that despite the popularity of Motuihe Island’s coastline as a haven for boaties, there have been very few incidences of people breaching the Island’s strict pest-free laws.

‘On a sunny afternoon in the weekend, there can be two or three hundred boats moored around Motuihe. On the whole boaties have been great. When the odd one brings their dog ashore, the public, DOC or Motuihe Trust volunteers have been very quick to stop them.

If conservation projects like this one continue their success, the little spotted kiwi population is set to increase by 50 percent over the next decade. 

BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust have been providing funding and support nationally for the past 15 years with DOC and many community-based groups to develop new populations of kiwi, including on pest- free offshore and fenced mainland islands.

Ferry services are available to Motuihe Island, which is situated between Motutapu and Waiheke islands. Visitor numbers have leapt with the establishment of the Motuihe Restoration Project in 2003.

Check out a video of the release on the Save the Kiwi YouTube channel.