Get to Know the Little Spotted Kiwi
Before they arrive in Nelson, here’s what makes kiwi pukupuku so special.
They might be the smallest of Aotearoa’s five kiwi species, but kiwi pukupuku are anything but timid.
These flightless, nocturnal birds spend their days ...tucked away in cosy burrows, hollow logs, or hidden beneath dense bush — but once night falls, they’re on the move.
🗣️ They’re surprisingly vocal, too. Males call out with a high-pitched rising whistle, while females respond with a slower, lower trill. Both will often repeat their calls 25–35 times in a row, duetting to stay in touch.
🪶 They’re also fiercely territorial. Clashes with neighbours can get dramatic — with sharp claws and flurries of feathers left behind!
🍽️ What’s on the menu?
Earthworms, beetle larvae, cicada grubs, moths, spiders, and the occasional fallen fruit or leaf.
👀 How do you spot one?
They’re small and pale, with light brown-grey feathers finely banded with white, a long pale bill, and short pale legs and toes.
🆚 Lookalike alert: Juvenile great spotted kiwi can look similar but are darker overall, with dark legs and toes.
And here’s a sweet fact: only the male incubates the egg — one or two large white eggs, laid between July and January.
This May, 40 kiwi pukupuku will return to the South Island for the first time in nearly 100 years — settling into their new home at Brook Waimārama Sanctuary.
Let’s give them the welcome they deserve 💚
Credit Save the Kiwi NZ for the photo on Kāpiti Island
#GetToKnowKiwi #KiwiPukupuku #BringingKiwiHome #BrookSanctuary #LittleSpottedKiwi #KiwiComeback #ConservationNZ #KiwiComeback #NelsonNZ #SaveTheKiwi #TeamKiwiNelson
🐦 Get to Know the Little Spotted Kiwi
Before they arrive in Nelson, here’s what makes kiwi pukupuku so special.
They might be the smallest of Aotearoa’s five kiwi species, but kiwi pukupuku are anything but timid.
These flightless, nocturnal birds spend their days... tucked away in cosy burrows, hollow logs, or hidden beneath dense bush — but once night falls, they’re on the move.
🗣️ They’re surprisingly vocal, too. Males call out with a high-pitched rising whistle, while females respond with a slower, lower trill. Both will often repeat their calls 25–35 times in a row, duetting to stay in touch.
🪶 They’re also fiercely territorial. Clashes with neighbours can get dramatic — with sharp claws and flurries of feathers left behind!
🍽️ What’s on the menu?
Earthworms, beetle larvae, cicada grubs, moths, spiders, and the occasional fallen fruit or leaf.
👀 How do you spot one?
They’re small and pale, with light brown-grey feathers finely banded with white, a long pale bill, and short pale legs and toes.
🆚 Lookalike alert: Juvenile great spotted kiwi can look similar but are darker overall, with dark legs and toes.
And here’s a sweet fact: only the male incubates the egg — one or two large white eggs, laid between July and January.
This May, 40 kiwi pukupuku will return to the South Island for the first time in nearly 100 years — settling into their new home at Brook Waimārama Sanctuary.
Let’s give them the welcome they deserve 💚
Credit @savethekiwinz for the photo
#GetToKnowKiwi #KiwiPukupuku #BringingKiwiHome #BrookSanctuary #LittleSpottedKiwi #KiwiComeback #ConservationNZ #KiwiComeback #NelsonNZ #SaveTheKiwi #TeamKiwiNelson
🎨 Kiwi Colouring Competition – School Holiday Fun! 🥝
Looking for something to do these school holidays?
Download our kiwi-themed colouring sheet and bring your masterpiece into any Nelson Library to go in the draw to win!
✨ Prizes for each age group ...include:
🧸 A cuddly kiwi plush toy
🎟 A free Brook Waimārama Sanctuary family pass
🖍️ Don’t forget to write your name, age, and phone number on the back so we can get in touch if you win!
🗓️ Entries close 30 April 2025
📥 Download the colouring sheets here:
👉 https://www.brooksanctuary.org.nz/bringing-kiwi-home/kids-colouring-competition
Brought to you in collaboration with Nelson Public Libraries Ngā Whare Mātauranga o Whakatū 📚
Questions? Contact: library@ncc.govt.nz
#BringingKiwiHome #KiwiColouringComp #BrookSanctuary #NelsonLibraries #KiwiKids #SchoolHolidayFun #ConservationForKids #KiwiComeback #KiwiPukupuku #ConservationNZ #NelsonNZ #TeamKiwiNelson
🎨 Kiwi Colouring Competition – School Holiday Fun! 🥝
Looking for something to do these school holidays?
Download our kiwi-themed colouring sheet and bring your masterpiece into any Nelson Library to go in the draw to win!
✨ Prizes for each age group include:
...
🧸 A cuddly kiwi plush toy
🎟 A free Brook Waimārama Sanctuary family pass
🖍️ Don’t forget to write your name, age, and phone number on the back so we can get in touch if you win!
🗓️ Entries close 30 April 2025
📥 Download the colouring sheets here:
👉https://www.brooksanctuary.org.nz/bringing-kiwi-home/kids-colouring-competition
Brought to you in collaboration with Nelson Public Libraries 📚
Questions? Contact: library@ncc.govt.nz
#BringingKiwiHome #KiwiColouringComp #BrookSanctuary #NelsonLibraries #KiwiKids #SchoolHolidayFun #ConservationForKids #KiwiComeback #KiwiPukupuku #ConservationNZ #NelsonNZ #TeamKiwiNelson
🥝 Where do kiwi pukupuku live?
And why is their return to Nelson so special?
Kiwi pukupuku (little spotted kiwi) are New Zealand’s smallest kiwi — with different subspecies once spread across both the North and South Islands, from forest and scrublands to coastal bush.
...
By the late 1800s, they had virtually disappeared from the North Island.
In the South, they were still common in places like Nelson, Westland, and Fiordland into the early 1900s — but then predators took their toll.
In 1912, five South Island birds were moved from the Jackson Bay area to Kāpiti Island, where they flourished — becoming the source population for all living kiwi pukupuku today.
Since 1983, they’ve been translocated to a handful of offshore islands and fenced mainland sanctuaries — but until now, never back to the South Island mainland.
This May, 40 kiwi pukupuku will be translocated to Brook Waimārama Sanctuary — the first time they are returned to the South Island mainland.
The sanctuary provides intact, old growth native forest, where they can forage for insects in leaf litter and rotten logs, and nest in burrows, hollow logs, or under dense vegetation.
With nearly 700 hectares of pest-free habitat, the Brook offers the conditions they need to survive and thrive — safely.
A return to their natural habitat.
A homecoming to Te Waipounamu / South Island.
And it’s happening here in Nelson. 💚
#KiwiComeback #BringingKiwiHome #BrookSanctuary #KiwiPukupuku #ConservationNZ #NelsonNZ #SaveTheKiwi #TeamKiwiNelson
🥝 Where do kiwi pukupuku live?
And why is their return to Nelson so special?
Kiwi pukupuku (little spotted kiwi) are New Zealand’s smallest kiwi — with different subspecies once spread across both the North and South Islands, from forest and scrublands to coastal bush.
...By the late 1800s, they had virtually disappeared from the North Island.
In the South, they were still common in places like Nelson, Westland, and Fiordland into the early 1900s — but then predators took their toll.
In 1912, five South Island birds were moved from the Jackson Bay area to Kāpiti Island, where they flourished — becoming the source population for all living kiwi pukupuku today.
Since 1983, they’ve been translocated to a handful of offshore islands and fenced mainland sanctuaries — but until now, never back to the South Island mainland.
This May, 40 kiwi pukupuku will be translocated to Brook Waimārama Sanctuary — the first time they are returned to the South Island mainland.
The sanctuary provides intact, old growth native forest, where they can forage for insects in leaf litter and rotten logs, and nest in burrows, hollow logs, or under dense vegetation.
With nearly 700 hectares of pest-free habitat, the Brook offers the conditions they need to survive and thrive — safely.
A return to their natural habitat.
A homecoming to Te Waipounamu / South Island.
And it’s happening here in Nelson. 💚
#KiwiComeback #BringingKiwiHome #BrookSanctuary #KiwiPukupuku #ConservationNZ #NelsonNZ #SaveTheKiwi #TeamKiwiNelson
👃 Why measure a kiwi’s beak?
In this video, our capture team are checking a kiwi’s beak length to help determine the sex and collect data — but there’s a lot more to this beak than meets the eye.
Kiwi are one of the few birds in the world that rely more on smell than ...sight — a rare trait in the bird world. 🧠
Most birds navigate their world through vision, but kiwi have evolved for life in the dark. As a nocturnal species, they’ve made a remarkable trade-off: reduced eyesight in favour of an exceptional sense of smell.
They even have nostrils at the tip of their beak. Plus, their olfactory bulb (the part of the brain responsible for processing smells) is one of the largest relative to brain size of any bird.
So, how do they use their not-so-secret weapon?
🥝 Kiwi pukupuku / little spotted kiwi walk slowly, tapping the ground as they go — detecting prey through scent and subtle vibrations. When they sense something, they might probe gently into leaf litter, rotten logs, or even pick prey off the surface.
Unlike some other kiwi species, kiwi pukupuku rarely plunge their beaks deep into the ground. They are fine diners and do not get that messy like their cousins.
This beak is also a tool, a sensor, and a survival superpower. 💚
#KiwiComeback #BringingKiwiHome #BrookSanctuary #KiwiPukupuku #ConservationNZ #NelsonNZ #SaveTheKiwi #TeamKiwiNelson
👃 Why measure a kiwi’s beak?
In this video, our capture team are checking a kiwi’s beak length to help determine the sex and collect data — but there’s a lot more to this beak than meets the eye.
Kiwi are one of the few birds in the world that rely more on smell than ...sight — a rare trait in the bird world. 🧠
Most birds navigate their world through vision, but kiwi have evolved for life in the dark. As a nocturnal species, they’ve made a remarkable trade-off: reduced eyesight in favour of an exceptional sense of smell.
They even have nostrils at the tip of their beak. Plus, their olfactory bulb (the part of the brain responsible for processing smells) is one of the largest relative to brain size of any bird.
So how do they use their not-so-secret weapon?
🥝 LSK walk slowly, tapping the ground as they go — detecting prey through scent and subtle vibrations. When they sense something, they might probe gently into leaf litter, rotten logs, or even pick prey off the surface.
Unlike some other kiwi species, kiwi pukupuku rarely plunge their beaks deep into the ground. They are fine diners and do not get that messy like their cousins.
This beak is also a tool, a sensor, and a survival superpower. 💚
#KiwiComeback #BringingKiwiHome #BrookSanctuary #KiwiPukupuku #ConservationNZ #NelsonNZ #SaveTheKiwi #TeamKiwiNelson
Ngā mihi Save the Kiwi NZ for sharing our journey. 🐦💚
In just a few weeks, kiwi pukupuku will return to their whenua in Te Waipounamu for the first time in nearly 100 years — and Brook Waimārama Sanctuary will be their new home.
We’re proud to be working alongside Save... the Kiwi, Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, Te Tauihu iwi, and DOC to help make this historic translocation possible.
👉 Read more: https://ow.ly/iHAt50VyGC1
📷: Manaaki Barrett
#KiwiPukupuku #KiwiComeback #BringingKiwiHome #BrookSanctuary #KiwiPukupuku #ConservationNZ #NelsonNZ #SaveTheKiwi #TeamKiwiNelson
“I cannot wait to hear the call of the kiwi in our own backyard.” 🐦🌿
Ngā mihi RNZ for sharing this moment with Aotearoa.
This beautifully written piece captures what it means to welcome kiwi pukupuku back to Nelson — for the first time in nearly 100 years. From the vision ...of our founders to the efforts of iwi, volunteers, conservation partners, and the Nelson community, this homecoming is something truly special.
📰 Read the full story here: https://buff.ly/asfCeYD
📷 RNZ | @Samantha Gee
#KiwiComeback #BringingKiwiHome #BrookSanctuary #KiwiPukupuku #ConservationNZ #NelsonNZ #SaveTheKiwi #teamkiwinelson
🐦 BE PART OF A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME KIWI CONSERVATION EVENT! 🐦
For the first time in nearly 100 years, little spotted kiwi are returning to the South Island – and YOU could be part of this historic moment! 🌿💚
The Prize: 🎉 ✨ Be one of the lucky few to release a ...kiwi into its new home at Brook Waimarama Sanctuary!
✨ PLUS A free Brook Sanctuary t-shirt & a cuddly kiwi plush toy!
How to Enter:
✅ Click the link https://www.brooksanctuary.org.nz/bringing-kiwi-home/kids-kiwi-release-competition to submit your entry form – it's quick and easy!
✅ (Optional) Follow @BrookSanctuary on Instagram
✅ (Optional) Post on your feed or story, tag The Brook Waimārama Sanctuary & use #BrookKiwiComp to spread the word!
📅 Hurry! Entries close on 30th April 2025! Winners will be announced on 1st May 2025.
Posters with QR codes around Nelson will also take you to the entry form. Keep an eye out! 👀📍
.
Don’t miss this chance to be part of conservation history! Tag your friends and help us welcome kiwi back to the mainland! 🌏🐤
#BrookKiwiComp
#KiwiComeback #BringingKiwiHome #BrookSanctuary #KiwiPukupuku #ConservationNZ #NelsonNZ #SaveTheKiwi #TeamKiwiNelson
🐦 BE PART OF A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME KIWI CONSERVATION EVENT! 🐦
For the first time in nearly 100 years, little spotted kiwi are returning to the South Island – and YOU could be part of this historic moment! 🌿💚
(Ages 8-18 only)
The Prize: 🎉 ✨ Be one of the ...lucky few to release a kiwi into its new home at Brook Waimarama Sanctuary!
✨ PLUS A free Brook Sanctuary t-shirt & a cuddly kiwi plush toy!
How to Enter:
✅ Click the link in our bio to submit your entry form – it's quick and easy!
✅ (Optional) Follow @BrookSanctuary on Instagram
✅ (Optional) Post on your feed or story, tag @BrookSanctuary & use #BrookKiwiComp to spread the word!
📅 Hurry! Entries close on 30th April 2025! Winners will be announced on 1st May 2025.
Posters with QR codes around Nelson will also take you to the entry form – keep an eye out! 👀📍
Don’t miss this chance to be part of conservation history! Tag your friends and help us welcome kiwi back to the mainland! 🌏🐤
#BrookKiwiComp
#KiwiComeback #BringingKiwiHome #BrookSanctuary #KiwiPukupuku #ConservationNZ #NelsonNZ #SaveTheKiwi #TeamKiwiNelson
