There are lots of things you can do to make sure that kiwi are alive and healthy in your backyard at the Whangarei Heads.

Reduce the threats

Make sure your dog cannot kill kiwi: Keep your dog tied up, on a lead or in a fenced area.

Any breed or type of dog can kill kiwi. They all find the smell of kiwi irresistible. Ask visitors to leave their dogs at home – including contractors.

Stray dogs should be reported to the dog control officers of Environmental Northland on 09 438 7513.

Remember, kiwi don’t just live in the bush. They are in paddocks, gorse, pampas grass and, inevitably, in the road verges. It’s not your dog’s fault if it likes smelly things, but whether your dog is a miniature cockapoo, a farm dog, or a big old hound, it is sure to want to find kiwi. It’s up to us to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Watch for kiwi at night when you’re driving.

If you see something in the road – don’t assume it’s a possum! That could be a kiwi. Three adult kiwi were run over and killed on Whangarei Heads road in the last 12 months. After dog attacks, road kill is the second highest cause of death for adult kiwi in the Whangarei Heads.

Keep your cat in at night.

An adult kiwi can fight off a cat, but a little kiwi chick is defenceless against a cat.

Support Trapping at Whangarei Heads

Backyard Kiwi have an extensive trapping program for controlling kiwi chick predators (stoats and cats). We are fortunate to have professional trappers running the program, and having access to private land to carry out this work is most appreciated. Local community groups can also have a big impact on what we’re able to achieve; check out what a group of motivated locals achieved on Mount Manaia.

Let us know if you find a dead kiwi

As the Whangarei Heads kiwi population has increased from 80 kiwi in 2001 to over 500 in 2014, it is critical that every kiwi be accounted for. We monitor about 10 kiwi, which leaves approximately 490 kiwi that go about their business without paying any attention to us! If you find a dead kiwi, it is important for us to find out how or why it died so we can prevent it from happening again. For example, it is easy to identify a kiwi that has been killed by a dog. We can often determine who the dog owner is, and let them know what happened. Learn more about how to deal with an injured or dead kiwi

Support Backyard Kiwi

Talk to your neighbours, visitors, and friends about kiwi. Let them know that the kiwi are here – and let them know what they can do!

You can also raise awareness and support the project by:

• Getting a bumper sticker
• Purchasing a kiwi print or picture book from the shop
• Becoming a proud supporter

Have you seen a kiwi at Whangarei Heads? If you have, then you need a bumper sticker – and see how many you can spot driving around the Heads! Bumper stickers are available at Parua Bay Gas, W.H.A.T. Autos and The Deck Café in McLeod Bay