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Archives For 30/11/1999

Teaching dogs new kiwi tricks

Department of Conservation —  05/11/2013

By Cherry Beaver, Trustee, Puketi Forest Trust

The Department of Conservation recently organised a kiwi aversion training day at Puketi Forest in the Bay of Islands. The training course was well supported with over 60 dogs and their owners attending ― luckily for the trainers not all at once!

A dog in front of the sign at kiwi aversion training. Photo: Cherry Beaver.

Over 60 dogs attended kiwi aversion training at Puketi Forest, including Nichol

The training days are a really important lesson for any dog that is likely to encounter a kiwi. It is an important tool in teaching dogs that kiwi are something they should stay away from.

As part of the training three model kiwis are placed along a small bush track. The dog wears a collar and receives a mild electric shock when they pass and sniff the kiwi. Generally they only need one shock and they learn to avoid the next bird.

A dog in the forest learning to avoid kiwi. Photo: Cherry Beaver.

Nichol in the bush during his kiwi aversion training

I took my dog Nichol, and I was amazed at how fast the process worked and how the dogs learn to avoid the kiwi so quickly.

The training is not foolproof and it is recommended that dogs complete the training each year, but many kiwi could be saved if all dogs went through this simple and effective training.

A North Island brown kiwi. Photo: Eric Carlson.

North Island brown kiwi

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Giveaway: Native birds of New Zealand poster

Elizabeth Marenzi —  21/10/2013

We have had so many great comments telling us why you want this beautiful poster. The giveaway is now closed and the winning comment (picked at random) is from Anna Margaret. Em Scott also picks up a copy for naming all of the birds. Thanks for commenting.

If you’ve been following the Conservation Blog for a while you might remember that last November we gave away a copy of Buller’s Birds of New Zealand.

At the time I said that each painting was a masterpiece that I wanted to frame for my wall. I also said that pulling apart such a precious book for a piece of wall art would be criminal. This month I found the solution to my problem. May I present to you Native Birds of New Zealand—the poster.

The image used in this poster is a cromolithograph (c. 1900) by William Shaw Diedrich Schmidt. The birds in Schmidt’s work were based on the artwork of J.G Keulemans in Walter Buller’s A History of the Birds of New Zealand.

Buller's birds of New Zealand. The poster.

How gorgeous is that? How perfect would it look on my (ahem, I mean your) wall? How great would it be to win a copy?

Well, today you have a chance, thanks to Te Papa Press.

All you need to do to be in with a shot of winning the Native Birds of New Zealand poster is to leave a comment on this post before 12 noon, Wednesday 23 October 2013, telling us why you want it. 

A winner will be selected at random and contacted by email.

For an extra chance to win (yes, that’s two copies of the poster we’re giving away), and a fun challenge for the dedicated bird lovers amongst us, who can name the most birds in the poster?

Good luck!

Unfortunately we can only post to New Zealand addresses.

The Native Birds of New Zealand poster (755mm x 449mm) is valued at $24.99 and is available to purchase from Te Papa (and their online store).

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Photo of the week: Tokoeka kiwi

Department of Conservation —  16/10/2013

Today’s photo, of a Stewart Island tokoeka kiwi, celebrates Save Kiwi Week (14 – 20 October).

Tokoeka kiwi on Stewart Island.

Tokoeka – literally meaning “weka with a walking stick” (Ngai Tahu) has four geographically and genetically distinct forms—Haast, northern Fiordland, southern Fiordland and Stewart Island.

The Stewart Island tokoeka are unusual among kiwi for being active during the daytime, as you can see in this photo taken by Alina Thiebes.

Stewart Island/Rakiura is probably the easiest place to observe kiwi in the wild, where some 20,000 still survive.

You can find out more about Save Kiwi Week and how you can help to protect kiwi on the Kiwis for kiwi website.

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Save Kiwi Week

Department of Conservation —  14/10/2013

Today kicks off the inaugural Save Kiwi Week, a week to raise both awareness and funds to protect our iconic national bird.

A young rowi kiwi amongst the bush. Photo: Ian Gill.

Okarito South Island brown kiwi (rowi)

You might think that we are doing a pretty good job protecting our national bird. But in reality, 2% of our kiwi population disappears every year. At this rate, we risk kiwi disappearing from the mainland in our lifetime!

Save Kiwi Week runs from 14th-20th of October and is organised by Kiwis for kiwi which is an independent charity that works in partnership with DOC to help fund kiwi conservation work around New Zealand. Their aim for Save Kiwi Week is to raise $100,000 to protect 1,000 kiwis in the wild in October.

lets-keep-kiwi-alive

Help save kiwi this October 14-20th

There are lots of community activities planned across New Zealand this week, as well as great TradeMe auctions for ‘once in a lifetime’ kiwi experiences and a chance to release a kiwi into the wild with Sir Graham Henry.

Anyone can get involved – including individuals, schools and businesses – and there are fun easy-to-use toolkits filled with activities and fundraising ideas on the Kiwis for kiwi website.

Get involved in the inaugural Save Kiwi Week and together we can help keep our iconic kiwi alive.

Watch a video about communities protecting kiwi:

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Petrel cuteness at Punakaiki

Department of Conservation —  07/10/2013

By Lisa Hamker, Visitor Centre Ranger at Paparoa National Park.

This fluffy thing, with the big, black and beautiful puppy dog eyes, is a one month old Westland black petrel chick in its burrow just south of Punakaiki.

Westland black petrel chick in a burrow.

Petrel chick cuteness. Photo: Bruce Stuart-Menteath | Paparoa Nature Tours

The chick’s parents still come in for feeding time in the evenings by doing an “elegant” crash landing in the canopy. They then drop to the ground, looking slightly disorientated for a few minutes, before regaining composure and waddling off to their burrow to have a noisy and somewhat reproachful chat with their partner. A bit like: “Did you actually forget to bring the Hoki? Do I now have to fly ALL THE WAY back to Hokitika to get one!”

Adult Westland black petrel in flight. Photo: Arthur Chapman | flickr (cc)

Adult black petrel out at sea. Photo: Arthur Chapman

In the morning mum and/or dad petrel will have to jump off the cliff to get airborne as their legs are too short to get them going on even ground. And off to another day at sea. Isn’t it amazing what these guys take on to raise their chick?

But let’s be honest – who wouldn’t, looking at a fluffy thing like that?

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