A kiwi called Dallas has successfully hatched another chick this season, despite continuing to nest at his favourite spot – right on the roadside verge at Whangarei Heads.
Dallas has just hatched another kiwi chick that has been named Aroha by locals. In fact Dallas is one of the locals himself, since he has been nesting on the Whangarei Heads roadside for the last three years now.
Backyard Kiwi Project Manager, Todd Hamilton, puts the continued nesting success of this kiwi down to the wonderful Whangarei Heads community: “Every day people walk right past Dallas and his nest. Dog owners in our area show their commitment to having kiwi thrive in their backyards by walking their dogs on a lead and reminding visitors to do the same.”
Northland brown kiwi are not restricted to native forest, but use a wide range of diverse places to live, nest and breed. They can be found in native forest and scrub, dunes, pine forests, farms and wetlands – basically anywhere!
Local artist Heather Hunt says “Dallas’s nest is just metres from Whangarei heads road and there has been heaps of holiday traffic on it. It just goes to show kiwi free range everywhere and they are not always where you might expect them to be!”
For more information about Dallas and Aroha or to find out more about the Backyard Kiwi visit: www.backyardkiwi.org.nz
