Listening closely is key to finding kiwi burrows

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-12-23 03:00

New Zealand

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Keeping track of breeding outcomes is important for conservation, but the nesting burrows of our nocturnal national bird are difficult to find without fixing expensive radio monitors to adult males. Fortunately, scientists have devised a promising new technique for locating kiwi burrows using acoustic monitors, human ears, and trail cams. North Island brown kiwi males are in charge of incubation, and new research has identified a loose pattern in the timing and location of their calls: more than half of the time, they made their first call within ten minutes of leaving their burrow, and in these cases, they were usually less than 35 metres away from their eggs. Though it is quite labour intensive, the method has proven successful on several occasions in the Remutaka Forest Park.