Kiwi Coast is excited to be supporting new Northland brown kiwi research with Masters student Carl Dowd and Pataua North Landcare.
The 1.7kg kiwi chick at his recent health check. Photo: Carl Dowd.
Carl Dowd with the telemetry equipment
Carl is researching wild kiwi chick survival and adult kiwi dispersal using leg-fitted radio transmitters monitored with remote telemetry equipment. This allows him to monitor kiwi movements and activities from afar, only needing to handle them occasionally for routine health checks and transmitter battery changes.
Carl explains:
“The research involves monitoring the activities of 10 breeding male kiwi and 10 – 15 of their chicks each year. Each cohort of chicks will be followed for up to three years or until they have their first nest. This will allow us to understand how far chicks disperse, and where they move, before they settle and establish a territory and their own first nest.”
“Monitoring these wild chicks will also allow us to good data on the survival of kiwi chicks in pest control areas and how they use the Kiwi Link ‘kiwi corridor’.”
“So far the research is going well. The kiwi chicks made good use of wetland areas over the recent dry summer. This kiwi chick just weighed in at 1.7kg, despite only hatching last October. That’s a very healthy weight for a kiwi less than a year old!”.
Huge thanks to the Follow a Kiwi Sponsors and Foundation North whose funding has enabled us to back this crucial research. We look forward to sharing Carl’s progress as the research continues.
