Kiwi pukupuku
Little Spotted Kiwi
Apteryx owenii
Their Story
The Brook Waimārama Sanctuary is home to 41 kiwi birds translocated in May 2025 and their new chicks from the current breeding season (not yet counted). They are the smallest of the five kiwi species. Formerly widespread on both main islands, but now mostly confined to offshore islands and mainland sanctuaries. Flightless, with tiny vestigial wings and no tail. Nocturnal, therefore more often heard than seen. Male gives a repeated high-pitched ascending whistle, female gives a slower and lower pitched warbling whistle. Light brownish grey finely mottled or banded horizontally with white, long pale bill, short pale legs, toes and claws.
The best way to get a chance to see a kiwi bird in Nelson is on one of our Night Tours – you’re almost guaranteed to hear them calling to each other and if you’re lucky might catch sight of one foraging in the bush (see the video below of one tour attendee’s exciting discovery!)
Conservation Status
Endemic – Nationally Increasing
Endemic to New Zealand, this smallest of the kiwi species is found mainly on offshore islands (particularly Kapiti Island where the Sanctuary birds were translocated from) and mainland sanctuaries. A small remnant population was discovered in Fiordland in late 2025 with chicks sighted in early 2026.
Population
The population of kiwi pukupuku (little spotted kiwi) is estimated at around 2,000 to 2,100 individuals, primarily living in predator-free sanctuaries like Kapiti Island, with smaller populations on other islands and recent exciting discoveries of a small, breeding mainland population in South Westland. The Sanctuary hosts 41 adult kiwi pukupuku and an as yet uncounted population of chicks from the current breeding season.
Voice
Male gives a high-pitched ascending whistle, female gives a slower and lower pitched ascending trill; both sexes repeat calls 25-35 times per sequence.
Food
Little spotted kiwi eat mostly small invertebrates, especially earthworms; larvae of beetles, cicadas, flies and moths; spiders, adult beetles and some small fallen fruit and leaves.
Kiwi pukupuku are the smallest of New Zealand’s five kiwi species, standing about 25 cm tall and weighing around 1.3 kg. Their soft grey-striped feathers resemble fur, and they have long, pale beaks with nostrils at the tip — giving them an excellent sense of smell. Both sexes look alike, though females are larger with longer bills.
Nocturnal, kiwi pukupuku emerge after dusk to forage for earthworms, beetles, larvae, and other invertebrates. They use their sensitive beaks to probe the soil and leaf litter. Their presence is often revealed by the sound of rustling, loud calls, or footprints left in damp earth.
Kiwi pukupuku form lifelong pairs and defend small territories of a minimum of three hectares. Females lay one to two large eggs per clutch, incubated by the male for 65–75 days. Chicks hatch fully feathered and independent, though they remain near the burrow for several days. The maximum lifespan is uncertain, but kiwi pukupuku can live for 40–50 years.
Once widespread across much of Aotearoa, kiwi pukupuku almost disappeared completely from the mainland by the early 1900s due to predation by stoats, dogs, and cats. They now survive on a handful of predator-free islands and sanctuaries. The Brook Waimārama Sanctuary provides the only secure mainland habitat for them in Te Waka A Māui(the South Island). A small remnant population was discovered in Fiordland in late 2025 with chicks sighted in early 2026.
Classified as Threatened – Nationally Increasing, kiwi pukupuku rely entirely on predator-free refuges. Their slow breeding and ground-nesting habits make them especially vulnerable to introduced mammals. Long-term success depends on maintaining pest-free status of sanctuaries and islands, establishing new populations and the introduction of rare genetics into new populations.
In partnership with Ngāti Toa, Forty-one kiwi pukupuku were released in May 2025, establishing the Sanctuary’s founding population. Their nightly calls are now a treasured part of the Brook soundscape, and lucky visitors can occasionally spot them on guided night tours. With continued pest-free conditions, this population is expected to grow to over 300 birds.
Kiwi pukupuku were the first kiwi species successfully translocated to predator-free islands.
Our other residents
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🪶 Ngahere Neighbourhood: piriwai (spiny gilled mayfly)
Tiny, ancient, and found only in Aotearoa — the spiny gilled mayfly (Coloburiscus humeralis) spends up to four years underwater before living just a few days as an adult.
Piriwai can only survive in clean, fast-flowing streams. Its larvae cling to river rocks, filtering food from the water with tiny hair-like gills. They are an important sign of healthy freshwater ecosystems, so much so that this species gets a rating of 8-9 on the sensitivity/stream health rating. All native stream macroinvertebrates are ranked in terms of their sensitivity and used as a bioindicator of stream health.
The Sanctuary stream is a reference site for stream health and represents a `pure`, unadulterated site and thus is highly diverse in sensitive stream invertebrates.
📸 Photo: Taken by Henry Hart here at the Sanctuary
#NgahereNeighbourhood #BrookSanctuary #AotearoaNature #FreshwaterLife #NelsonTasman #Conservation #Piriwai
Feb 17
Their Raucous Call Returns: Kākā Set to Reclaim the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary. 🦜
This March, we’re scheduled to welcome two male and one female kākā fledglings from the Dunedin Botanic Garden kākā breeding programme. There’s also the potential for a further four birds to arrive in May.
Kākā are unique to Aotearoa and are nationally vulnerable, with populations heavily impacted by introduced predators. Releasing them into a pest-free sanctuary with ideal habitat (old growth beech forest) gives them the best chance to thrive.
This release will build on years of species translocations as part of the Sanctuary’s ambitious ecosystem restoration efforts, including:
🏠 Kākāriki karaka in 2021
🏠 Powelliphanta hochstetteri consobrina (giant snails) in 2021
🏠 Tuatara in November 2024 and May 2025
🏠 Kiwi in May 2025
Over the coming weeks, our team will be busy planning and preparing for this important translocation. We’ll share more details on timing and what to expect closer to the date.
Thank you to our community of donors, volunteers, business supporters, and Sanctuary Members for continuing to back the Sanctuary — your support is vital to every species return. We can’t wait to celebrate this next milestone with you.
#BrookWaimāramaSanctuary #Kākā #ConservationNZ #NelsonNZ #PredatorFree #NativeWildlife #Biodiversity
Feb 10
Win prizes for your best summer photo at the Sanctuary 📸🏆☀️
This season, we want to see the Sanctuary through your lens — the bright light through the canopy, the textures of the forest floor, and the tiny details that make summer feel alive.
Enter our Summer Photography Competition (part of our Sanctuary Seasons series) and you could win:
🏆 Instant camera (Junior Photography winner)
🌙 Family ticket to a guided night tour
📰 Feature in our newsletter + social media
🖼️ Printed display at the Visitor Centre
📅 Entries close 28 February - Submit your entries via our website: Link in bio
Photo credit: Helen Power - Entry from the spring photography competition
#BrookWaimāramaSanctuary #SanctuarySeasons #Ngahere #NaturePhotography #NZWildlife #NelsonTasman #VisitNelson #NZHikes #EcoTourismNZ #ConservationStorytelling
Feb 4
Looking for a unique and memorable date night? 🌙🌲
This February, we’re introducing Date Me Darling — private, curated date nights inside the Sanctuary at dusk.
Three styled locations. One couple at a time. You’ll have a styled spot along the main loop track, locally sourced food and drinks, a few games to share, and time to slow down together as the forest shifts into evening.
Beech Glade: for when you want the world to fall away — deeply hidden, totally private, just you and the hush of the forest.
River: crystal clear water, canopy above, flickering lights — the kind of setup you usually only see on Instagram.
Meadow: open sky, long grass, and the forest standing quietly at the edges like it knows not to interrupt.
Bookings are open now (limited spaces in February only so don’t miss out!): Link in bio
#DateMeDarling #NelsonNZ #NelsonTasman #ThingsToDoNelson #DateNightIdeas #NatureLovers #SupportLocalNZ #ConservationNZ #BrookWaimāramaSanctuary
Feb 3
Two cute to be true?
Brook Waimārama Sanctuary and @savethekiwinz teams have been busy over the past few days tracking and recapturing kiwi to remove their transmitters. Thanks to a huge team effort, all ten males were recaptured within just three days.
Some nest burrows held a surprise or two — in several cases a female was present, and a couple even contained chicks. One burrow amazed us all, with not one but two adorable chicks 😍
All chicks are fully independent at this stage of the season, and after quick health checks and transmitter removal, all adult kiwi were safely returned to their burrows.
This special footage was captured by kiwi handler Tamsin from Save the Kiwi, who led the transmitter removal mahi.
We estimate the 20 females and 21 males released in May last year have already produced around 10–15 kiwi pukupuku (little spotted kiwi) chicks in their very first breeding season — a strong sign the habitat is just right.
With transmitters now removed from all ten males, the kiwi are completely free, with no further handling needed. Annual kiwi call counts by staff and volunteers will help track the growing population across our 690 ha, ring-fenced, pest-free sanctuary.
Credit: Video courtesy of Tamsin Ward-Smith, Save the Kiwi
Thanks to our partnership with @terunangaotoa Ngati Toa and Save the Kiwi
#kiwipukupuku #littlespottedkiwi #brookwaimaramasanctuary #nelson #thetopofthesouth #conservation #biodiversity #nativebirds #natureloversnz #newzealandwildlife #pestfree #ringfencedsanctuary #conservationinaction
Jan 29
🎻 45 min string quartet concert at Brook Waimārama Sanctuary
Come and hear a dynamic young string quartet perform a 45 min concert at Brook Waimārama Sanctuary. We welcome everyone to come along, and bring anyone you think might be curious to hear some classical music in a relaxed environment.
The @antipodes.quartet is part of the Fellowship Ensemble Programme, a joint venture between the @adamchambermusicfestival, @newzealandstringquartet and @chambermusicnz, as a career-development experience offered to four of this country’s most promising young string players.
The Antipodes Quartet are Eden Annesley (violin), Mana Waiariki (violin), Tal Amoore (viola) and Lavinnia Rae (cello).
On this occasion, Brook Waimārama Sanctuary are welcoming everyone at local prices: Adult $15, Child $9; Family $35 (on the door)
Find out more: (Link in bio)
#BrookWaimāramaSanctuary #NelsonNZ #Whakatū #WhatsonNelson #NelsonTasman #LiveMusicNZ #ChamberMusicNZ #StringQuartet #ClassicalMusicNZ #AdamChamberMusicFestival #NewZealandStringQuartet #ChamberMusicNewZealand #FamilyFriendly #NatureAndCulture #SupportLocalArts
Jan 27
