Home-coming for rare rowi

MAY 17, 2019 7:32 AM AEST

These seven rowi, or Ōkārito brown kiwi, were all wild-hatched on predator free Mana Island and are part of a kiwi kōhanga initiative.

The initiative began in 2012, when juvenile rowi were transferred to Mana Island to establish a breeding population. The juveniles were selected for their genetic diversity, safeguarding the main rowi population, and have gone on to breed a second generation.

A predator free island and Scientific Reserve, Mana Island was identified as the ideal sanctuary for a satellite population of rowi and kōhanga site.

“Rowi were once widespread across the South Island and lower North Island. They haven’t been in the north for well over 100 years, so having chicks hatch on Mana Island – a habitat well suited to their species – was pretty special,” says Jack Mace, DOC Kapiti Wellington Operations Manager.

“It’s exciting that we’ve reached a point where some of these rowi can be released on the mainland, while Mana Island continues to be home for a small population.”

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International attention for kiwi recovery efforts

Tuesday, 5 December 2017, 7:17 pm
Press Release: Forest And Bird

International attention for kiwi recovery efforts 

Embargoed until 07:00 GMT (18:00 New Zealand) 5 December 2017

Two species of kiwi are on the road to recovery after years of coordinated work to save them, and our other kiwi species would benefit from a similar level of resourcing.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has highlighted the rowi (also known as okarito kiwi) and brown kiwi as international success stories.

The IUCN is up-grading the status of rowi and brown kiwi from ‘endangered’ to ‘vulnerable’.

“This means instead of being in serious trouble, these two types of kiwi are no longer at such a high risk of extinction” says Forest & Bird Chief Conservation Officer Kevin Hackwell.

“It’s great to have international recognition for all the hard work throughout the country helping these species to recover.”

Rowi have increased from only 160 individuals in 1995 to 450 adults today, and managed brown kiwi populations are growing by over 2% per annum, although unmanaged populations continue to decline.

The success is the result of thirty years of coordinated efforts from the government, tangata whenua, and community groups including Forest & Bird.

“The Kiwi Recovery Group has been an incredibly successful and productive model for saving a species. We hope it continues.”

“Other kiwi like the great spotted and some tokoeka species are still in serious trouble,” says Mr Hackwell.

Continued  

Rarest Kiwi Species Gets Breeding Boost

By John R. Platt | November 5, 2014 

The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

Fifty birds flew home last month. Now, 50 may not seem like much and flight might not sound all that unusual for birds, but we’re talking about the critically endangered rowi (Apteryx rowi), New Zealand’s scarcest kiwi species and one of the world’s rarest flightless birds.

Rowi have had a rough time in the wild. Invasive predators such as European stoats (Mustela erminea) and domesticated cats and dogs nearly wiped the species out in their sole habitat, the Ōkārito forest on New Zealand’s South Island. The remaining birds lay about 80 eggs a year, only 40 of which hatch. Of those 40, four manage to survive predators long enough to reach six months of age. On average, just two wild rowi make it to adulthood every year. After that they are usually safe, but a 5 percent survival rate is not a good start.

That’s where the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) comes in. A few years ago the DOC started removing eggs from the wild, hatching them in a nearby nursery and then flying them hundreds of kilometers away to a secure facility where predators could not reach them. The point of the Operation Nest Egg program is less to hatch new birds than to let them grow up in safety until they are large enough to defend themselves. At about one kilogram, adult rowi are actually pretty tough and can easily counter predators with their sharp beaks and claws.

Continued ...

Ninth kiwi dies at Wellington Zoo

The sole surviving kiwi of a group of nine rowi which had been brought to Wellington Zoo for treatment has died.

The birds were brought to the zoo from Motuara Island in the Marlborough Sounds in August to receive medical treatment for dermatitis.

Last week, eight of the birds died of a respiratory illness after inhaling the fungus Aspergillus in the bark they were being housed on.

The surviving kiwi was believed to have remained alive because it was off its food and not foraging in the bark.

Wellington Zoo Veterinary Science Manager Lisa Argilla says the zoo is deeply saddened by the deaths.

"This little rowi was hanging in there – he was a real fighter, this bird. However he was in critical condition.

"We kept him as comfortable as possible while he was struggling with the infection in his lungs, but sadly he didn’t make it," she says.

Dr Argilla says the post-mortem showed signs consistent with a respiratory tract infection. 

Wellington Zoo and the Department of Conservation are working together to share the learning from this case with other care providers.

The population of rowi kiwi is believed to be about 400.

Read more:

http://www.3news.co.nz/Ninth-kiwi-dies-at-Wellington-Zoo/tabid/423/articleID/316545/Default.aspx#ixzz2hEyOiWCG

Parasites affect Okarito brown kiwi

A group of rare kiwi sent to Massey University's Wildbase Hospital with rashes on their bottoms have been cured of an irritating itch and returned to their island.

However, one bird died during treatment from suspected renal failure and a further eight sent to Wellington Zoo's Nest wildlife veterinary clinic died from what is believed to be a respiratory infection caused by bark in their enclosure.

Fourteen brown Okarito kiwi, known as Rowi, were taken from a predator-free island in the Marlborough Sounds last month after wildlife specialists noticed the birds' bottoms were inflamed with "crusty lesions".

The birds were split between Palmerston North's Massey University Wildbase Hospital and Wellington Zoo's Nest wildlife veterinary clinic.

Wildbase veterinarian Danielle Sijbranda said specialists discovered an "egg" or parasite in the soil had hatched and crawled through the kiwis' skin, causing the sores.

"We did a full range of tests, including samples from the crusty lesions to have a look at what the cause might be," she said.

"Under the microscope we found larvae from worms, so from contact it can crawl under the skin to travel through the body - it's not the normal infection from worms."

Miss Sijbranda said it was incredibly sad some of the rare birds died after clinics went to all efforts to save them - and in unrelated incidents. Early autopsy findings of the kiwi at Wildbase indicated it died of renal failure.

Last Friday the remaining kiwi were taken to Wellington and released by the Department of Conservation on their island.

"We have got some positives out of this, we've learnt more about the parasites now," she said, "so we can set up a preventative programme for the kiwi that live on the island."

There are less than 400 Okarito brown kiwi nationwide.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/9238585/Parasites-affect-Okarito-brown-kiwi

New chick find signals hope for critically endangered kiwi

Rowi chick a boost for struggling population

July 2013. The discovery of a kiwi chick born on Marlborough Sounds' Orua Wairua (Blumine) Island could help secure the future for the world's most endangered kiwi - the rowi.

The as yet unnamed chick was transferred by the Department of Conservation (DOC) to Mana Island - a predator-free kiwi sanctuary off the Kapiti Coast -joining other rowi, in the hope it will one day breed.

Just 375 rowi alive including only 80 breeding pairs

Kiwis for kiwi executive director, Michelle Impey says the chick's hatching could unlock the species' gene pool, genetically diversifying the rowi population which stands at just 375.

"With an estimated one third of rowi unproductive and with the population down to just 80 breeding pairs, this precious chick could literally ensure the survival of the species," says Ms Impey.

Continued

Rarest kiwis released into the wild as numbers double in 15 years

A successful project to save New Zealand's rarest kiwi species-the rowi-from extinction, has enabled New Zealand's Department of Conservation (DOC) to return another 9 young birds to Ōkārito forest.

One of New Zealand's species recovery success stories, the rowi has been brought back from a population low of fewer than 200 birds in 1998 to nearly 400 birds today.

"The doubling of the population has been thanks to a blend of old-fashioned hard work and new techniques and technology-including a ground-breaking aerial tracking system called Sky Ranger." says Cornelia Vervoorn, community relations ranger with DOC.

Stoat problem
"If these birds had been left in the wild, there is a 95% chance that they would have been killed by stoats soon after hatching. However, as part of BNZ Operation Nest Egg, DOC rangers rescued the eggs before they hatched and took them to the West Coast Wildlife Centre in Franz Josef. They were incubated and hatched in the centre's husbandry unit before being taken to predator-free Motuara Island in the Marlborough Sounds. Now that the chicks have grown up and are strong enough to repel stoat attacks, they are completing their journey and being released back into the Ōkārito Kiwi Sanctuary."

Read on:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/rowi.html