Actions we can take to improve the lives of birds, bugs and native flora!

Watch our slideshow: Living in a kiwizone? Here's some stuff we all need to know...

Living in a kiwi zone? Here's some stuff we all need to know...

In areas with no pest control, just 5% percent of hatched kiwi chicks make it to adulthood

In Northland, the average life expectancy of an adult kiwi is just 13 years compared to nearly 50 years in other parts of the country

Domestic dogs are a huge problem for kiwi

One dog left to roam can wipe out an entire local population

Dogs kill adult birds - the breeding population

They are part of why Northland kiwi have a life expectancy of just 13 years compared to nearly 50 in other parts of the country

Things we can do:
Control our dogs so that they never meet a kiwi
Have our dogs kiwi aversion trained regularly, remembering it's no guarantee

Read our dogs in kiwi zones guidelines here

Domestic and feral cats are also a problem for kiwi survival.

Cats kill kiwi chicks

Cats kill other native bird species

Living in a kiwi zone, here's some things we can do:
Keep them in at night
Feed them well
Neuter or spay our cats
When our cats die, consider not replacing them

Read "Cats in kiwi zones" here

Vehicles kill kiwi

DoC have had 75 reported killed by cars on our peninsula (Redcliffes Rd / Rangitane Rd / Opito Bay Rd) since 1992. Who knows how many have been unreported

Driving at night, let's slow down and keep a close eye out for them on the road

In areas where they aren't controlled, stoats kill more than 50% of all kiwi chicks

They also take a big toll on other native birds, weta and lizards

Possums eat kiwi eggs and kill adult kiwi and chicks

They also prey on other native bird's eggs and chicks

They eat kiwi habitat and compete with kiwi for burrows

Rats and mice are food for the kiwi's predators and their presence helps to keep populations of cats, stoats and other mustelids high


Ship rats are climbers and eat native birds eggs and chicks


They eat insects and the fruit and seeds that feed birds and allow the forest to regenerate

Still with us? One last thing...

If your dog starts barking at a upturned dinghy on the beach lead him/her away quietly.
There's a good chance it's a kiwi resting up under there.
It happened at Opito Bay this week, not the first time...

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Trap pests on your property

We can supply traps at no charge and train you how to use them:

• Rat traps in tunnels
• Possum traps
• Stoat traps

Contact us This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.or call 027 2431777.

If you let us know your address, from google maps, we can work out how many traps you'll need and arrange a time to deliver them and go through their operation.

Currently we have 207 properties/areas being trapped by approx 110 active trappers. Lots of folk are covering their neighbours place, if they're unable to do it themselves.

Have a look at the map on our site's homepage - this shows you the location of traps. If you know other people on the peninsula you can check here to see if there property is being trapped or not. If not, encourage them to get involved.

Feed the birds - plant native trees/plants on your property that birds like to eat

When we control pests we'll get more birds, but we have to make sure they have enough tucker to eat!

The Northland Regional Council put out this fantastic downloadable booklet on native trees and plants.

• What native trees are the best food for kereru / tui / silvereye
• Which trees possum most like to eat!
• Growth rates / final heights / what conditions each species prefers

Download a pdf copy here

Here's the cheat sheet on birds tree preferences:

Bust weeds - search out and destroy invasive weeds on your property

It's really important to nail these guys and stop their spread, now is better than later!

Northland Regional Council have an excellent section on their website with advice on how to deal to them.

https://www.nrc.govt.nz/environment/weed-and-pest-control/pest-control-hub/

Possibly the most common ones on our peninsula are below with links to how to get rid of them:

• Cotoneaster Cotoneaster
• Agapanthus Agapanthus
• Ginger Ginger
• Jasmine Jasmine
• Moth Plant Moth Plant
• Pampas Grass Pampas Grass
• Taiwan Cherry Taiwan Cherry
• Tobacco Tobacco
• Wattle Wattle
• Wilding Pine Wilding Pine
•  

Make your home, bird and invertebrate friendly, here's some cool ideas

The humble bird bath
Man, birds love to bathe, especially in the height of summer. It's important to change the water and clean them regularly, like twice a week. Good for the birds, but also great entertainment value :)

Set up a tui feeder
It'll attract nectar feeders like tui and silvereyes and they'll love you for it :)

You can buy one here:
https://creativewoodcraft.co.nz/product/wild-bird-nectar-feeder

Put a weta hotel in your garden/bush

As the DoC website says: "Female wētā lay 100-300 eggs so if you build a home they like and wētā live there, their numbers will grow" - good for kiwi, and other birds that eat them.

DoC's page with plans to build your own here
Buy one here

Set up a lizard shelter

This one is made of onduline roofing material but any roofing material will do the trick. Put spacers in between the sheets so the lizards can comfotably get in and out and once you've set it up don't disturb it.

If you have a dog, read our suggested guidelines for dogs living in kiwi zones.

Email us This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for the date of the next local avoidance training session.
Or call avoidance trainer Lesley Baigent - 027 313 4974

Read guidelines for dog owners living in a kiwi zone here

Keep our speed down at night, 4 kiwi died on our road last year

2017 road toll - 6
2018 road toll - 4
2019 YTD - 3

Report an unusual native bird sighting

We've added a section on the website that lets you report sightings of uncommon native birds. We then add the location to a google map displayed on the page.

In Opito, we've had a kaka hanging out on the  neighbours deck and buzzing our place. One was also spotted by Terry and Ali, our Rangitane coordinators, while they were out walking in Akeake Reserve.

Occassionally folk see Miromiro (Tom Tits) - call them in!

Report a sighting here

Shooting rabbits on your property? Supply us with rabbit for our network of 200+ stoat traps

We have 200+ stoat traps out there, we don't need huge numbers but one or two a month would be very handy - bonus points if they come skinned and cut into cubes!

Five minute bird counts

Bird counts are an important part of measuring how effective we are being with pest control.

If you know your birds reasonably well this is a job you could do annually from your own home or other areas. Currently we do them in Akeake and Rangitane Reserves and it would be great to have a group of folk that are trained in this.

https://kppc.kiwi/reserves/akeake/172-akeake-bird-monitoring-september-2017.html

call Deb on 027 245 3080 or Dean 027 243 1777

If you hear kiwi on or near your property - consider doing annual kiwi listening

This involves sitting outside for two hours at a time for three nights in June/July (dates depend on the moon phase)

This monitoring is really important going forward to see if kiwi numbers are increasing. If you'd like to do listening on your property please get in touch, we have some great resources we can send you.  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Last year, Fleur and Deb (who have bionic hearing) recorded an amazing 18.3 average calls per hour at the historical listening site at Rangitane Reserve. That's heaps. Compared to last years Northland wide figures of approx 100 listening stations, that would be the seventh highest count.

Weeding in Akeake Reserve

Akeake Reserve at the end of Opito Bay is a beautiful walk. It's relatively free of pest weeds but there are some that need attention.  Join our weeding group do as little or as much as you like. If you'd like to be involved call Deb on 027 245 3080 or Dean 027 243 1777

Collect native tree seed/fruit

We will have an ongoing need for native tree seed/fruit sourced from old, well established trees. If you have any of the following on your property we'd love to hear from you

• Kowhai
• Miro
• Puriri
• Nikau
• Taraire
• Rewarewa
• Kohekohe
• Kahikatea
• Titoki
• Rimu
• Totara

Why do we want seed? To make into seed balls to distribute through the reserves in winter to increase the diversity of the trees/plants providing more food for the birds. Seed ball manufacturers and distributors also required!

call Deb on 027 245 3080 or Dean 027 243 1777

Job share a trap line

Interested in looking after a trap line? Sole charge or job share posiitions available!

Rangitane Reserve has three separate trap lines that need to be checked every two weeks. Each line takes about an hour to complete. Full training given. Reasonably easy terrain.

Akeake Reserve has a possum/stoat trap line that needs to be checked every two weeks. Takes about an hour and a half, full training given.

call Deb on 027 245 3080 or Dean 027 243 1777

Five minute bird counts

Bird counts are an important part of measuring how effective we are being with pest control.

If you know your birds reasonably well this is a job you could do annually from your own home or other areas. Currently we do them in Akeake and Rangitane Reserves and it would be great to have a group of folk that are trained in this.

https://kppc.kiwi/reserves/akeake/172-akeake-bird-monitoring-september-2017.html

call Deb on 027 245 3080 or Dean 027 243 1777

Kiwi listening in the reserves

This involves sitting outside for two hours at a time for three nights in June/July (dates depend on the moon phase)

This monitoring is really important going forward to see if kiwi numbers are increasing. If you'd like to get involved, getin touch, we have some great resources we can send you and full training given.  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Deb on 027 245 3080 or Dean 027 243 1777

Last year, Fleur and Deb (who have bionic hearing) recorded an amazing 18.3 average calls per hour at the historical listening site at Rangitane Reserve. That's heaps. Compared to last years Northland wide figures of approx 100 listening stations, that would be the seventh highest count.