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Since that first sighting, follow-up surveys have confirmed a small but breeding population: nine individual kiwi pukupuku have now been documented, including at least two breeding pairs.
In early December 2025, the rediscovered population yielded further hope: DOC rangers found two little kiwi pukupuku chicks in a nest. Each chick weighed less than 200 grams – a sign that this population is successfully reproducing.
To give the vulnerable chicks the best chance of survival, they were carefully transported to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in Christchurch, where they will grow in a predator-free environment until they reach a ‘stoat-safe’ weight, at which point they may be released back into the wild.
Ngāti Māhaki – mana whenua of the region – welcomed the news, calling the kiwi pukupuku a precious taonga and expressing hope for its survival and thriving future in their whenua.
Kara Edwards | Miraculous Rediscovery: Kiwi Pukupuku Returns to Mainland South Island
Only months ago, the smallest of Aotearoa’s kiwi species was thought to survive solely on pest-free offshore sanctuaries. That assumption has now been overturned. In mid-2025 a hunter contracted by Department of Conservation (DOC) unexpectedly encountered a kiwi within the remote Adams Wilderness Area on the West Coast. DNA testing confirmed the bird as kiwi pukupuku – a moment described by DOC and Māori partners as almost miraculous.Since that first sighting, follow-up surveys have confirmed a small but breeding population: nine individual kiwi pukupuku have now been documented, including at least two breeding pairs.
In early December 2025, the rediscovered population yielded further hope: DOC rangers found two little kiwi pukupuku chicks in a nest. Each chick weighed less than 200 grams – a sign that this population is successfully reproducing.
To give the vulnerable chicks the best chance of survival, they were carefully transported to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in Christchurch, where they will grow in a predator-free environment until they reach a ‘stoat-safe’ weight, at which point they may be released back into the wild.
Ngāti Māhaki – mana whenua of the region – welcomed the news, calling the kiwi pukupuku a precious taonga and expressing hope for its survival and thriving future in their whenua.
- A species thought lost returns: Until 2025, kiwi pukupuku had not been recorded on mainland New Zealand since 1978 – nearly 50 years. Their rediscovery challenges long-standing assumptions about their extinction on the mainland.
- Cultural significance: For Māori, kiwi are more than native birds – they are taonga, tied to identity, whakapapa, and connection to whenua. The survival of kiwi pukupuku in South Westland offers a rare opportunity to restore a lost link between people and place.
- Conservation breakthrough: As the smallest kiwi species and highly vulnerable to introduced predators (stoats, dogs, cats), their mainland survival shows that remote wilderness and carefully managed conservation efforts can succeed.
