Kiwis' Breeding Season in New Zealand 2024-2025

Native to New Zealand, Kiwis are lovely birds that cannot fly. The kiwis are distinguished by long and thin beak with the nostrils nested on its end so that a kiwi could sniff the food. Their ​diet consists of various insects, worms and larvae. The birds are considered to be the national symbol of the country. The name of the bird is used as a nationality, meaning New Zealander.

The problem is that these unique birds are threatened to become extinct due to stoats, dogs, cats, ferrets and other animals who hunt defenseless kiwis. Nowadays, all the five species of kiwi (North Island brown kiwi, Okarito brown kiwi, Southern brown kiwi, Little spotted kiwi, and Great spotted kiwi) are endangered and need protection. Thus,​ eggs are often gathered in the wild and hatched in sanctuaries. Later the birds are taken back to their natural habitats.

One of such nurseries for baby kiwis is located in the Kiwi House at Rotorua Rainbow Springs. The best time to see baby kiwis or even observe the very hatching procedure is during their breeding season which stretches from August to April.