Kiwi Numbers Continue to Grow Beyond Tāwharanui: Responsible Dog Ownership Remains Essential

The latest kiwi monitoring results from the Forest Bridge Trust’s Tāwharanui buffer zone reveal more encouraging signs that Northland brown kiwi are continuing to expand their range and establish new breeding territories beyond the safety of the predator-proof fence.

Between May and June 2026, our team deployed 19 acoustic recorders across the Tāwharanui buffer zone, from just 500 metres to 7.2 kilometres from the predator-proof fence. The recorders monitored the landscape every evening between 6.00 pm and midnight during the official kiwi monitoring period, allowing us to track where kiwi are calling and possible breeding pairs.

The results paint an exciting picture of a population on the move.

Kiwi calls were recorded at 14 of the 19 monitoring sites, confirming the birds are now well established throughout much of the buffer zone. Even more encouraging, kiwi duets, where a male and female call to one another, were detected at nine sites, indicating established breeding pairs.

One of the most exciting discoveries came from southern Omaha, where our acoustic recorders detected a female kiwi answering the calls of the area’s lone resident male for the very first time. This “kiwi duet” suggests the pair have successfully formed a bond and are likely to begin nesting locally, a wonderful sign for future chick production and continued population growth.

The increase in kiwi activity was also reflected in the call rates. Site 1 recorded an average of 9.2 kiwi calls per hour across seven nights of suitable monitoring conditions, almost double the 5.7 calls per hour recorded in 2025. On three of those nights, the recorder captured an impressive 12 calls per hour, highlighting just how active the local kiwi population has become.

A Reminder That Kiwi Need Our Help

While the monitoring results are incredibly positive, the recorders also captured something far less encouraging. Alongside the kiwi calls, we detected dogs barking in the Omaha area. As kiwis continue to expand into new habitats, they are increasingly sharing the landscape with people and their pets. Unfortunately, dogs remain one of the greatest threats to kiwi. Unlike many birds, kiwi do not have a strong breastbone to protect their vital organs. Even a playful or inquisitive dog can cause fatal injuries within seconds.

Kiwi also have a distinctive scent that naturally attracts dogs, making encounters more likely, even in places you might not expect, such as bush edges, paddocks, gardens or beneath dense vegetation.

With kiwi now breeding in more parts of Rodney, responsible dog ownership has never been more important. We encourage all dog owners to keep their dogs on a lead in known kiwi areas, particularly around bush margins, rural properties, and any locations where kiwi activity has been recorded.

Help Keep Kiwi Safe One of the simplest ways dog owners can help is by completing Kiwi Avoidance Training (KAT). These free, 10-minute sessions, Funded by The Rodney Local Board teach dogs to actively avoid the scent of kiwi, helping reduce the risk of dangerous encounters while allowing owners to continue enjoying the outdoors responsibly.

Our next FREE Kiwi Avoidance Training sessions are:

• 23 August – Point Wells
• 19 September – Matakana Pony Club

To book your dog into a session, visit the Save The Kiwi website or email KAT@theforestbridgetrust.org.nz.

Every trained dog is another step towards ensuring kiwi can continue to thrive across the Forest Bridge landscape. Together, we can help protect one of Aotearoa’s most iconic species as it returns to places where it hasn’t been heard for generations.