My wish to see a kiwi came true this morning as I walked down for the Dawn Parade. Sadly it wasn't the live one that I was hoping for; this one had been hit by a vehicle overnight and lay in a heap in the middle of the road a few minutes walk from home. It was really upsetting to know that it was totally avoidable and that one more of our precious birds died before the 50 or so years of its natural lifespan were up. All drivers here know that there are kiwi around, that the roads are narrow and that vision is limited in some places.
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| Please drive carefully at night when kiwi are around |
The 'Kiwi' road sign just down the road that may have prompted the driver to slow down was stolen a year or so ago and hasn't yet been replaced. Stealing these signs seems to be a common occurrence - see this article here
http://www.doc.govt.nz/about-doc/news/media-releases/2010/kiwi-killed-after-road-sign-stolen/. Are people really that thick to think that removing the sign won't have an impact? Sure the sign looks great in the living room but is it worth the price of dead kiwi on the roads?
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| Kiwi feathers and blood on Back Road |
My guess is that the kiwi was a youngish male because of a relatively short bill. He was in great condition and probably weighed around 2½-3kg. It's the first time I've been able to examine one closely as normally there is minimal handling to prevent stressing them out.
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| Kiwi feathers - so soft and uniquely coloured |
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| See the large ear opening - almost as big as his/her eye |
I'm sorry, manu.
http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/native-animals/birds/land-birds/kiwi/kiwi/you-can-help/
