About this episode
This episode explores the process of growing kiwi birds and the conservation efforts at the National Kiwi Hatchery.
Take a (very) large egg, some insects (plus specially developed food), and a safe place to put on weight for a while. This is how you grow a kiwi, and improve wild survival rates from 5% to 65%. With over 2,600 hatches across their 30 year history, the National Kiwi Hatchery have a lot of experience under their belt, but there's always more to learn from our iconic national bird. Our Changing World visits the hatchery to learn how they combine conservation and eco-tourism to help grow kiwi numbers. Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more. Learn more: Operation Nest Egg has also been a great success for the rowi kiwi , the only remaining wild population of which lives in Ōkārito on the South Island’s West Coast . In July 2025 little spotted kiwi were found on New Zealand’s mainland for the first time in 50 years. Two chicks and eggs were subsequently brought to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in Christchurch to allow them to get to stoat-proof weight. With a lot of help, and stoat trapping, brown kiwi are returning to the wilds of Wellington . Candling is also used to track kākāpō embryo development and egg fertility…
People in this episode
Guests: Emma Bean, Carole Dean, Rebeca Bothamley
Topics covered
- kiwi conservation
- hatching process
- eco-tourism
- wildlife preservation
- New Zealand birds
Keywords
- kiwi
- hatching
- conservation
- eco-tourism
- New Zealand
- wildlife
- National Kiwi Hatchery
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: National Kiwi Hatchery
Books & works: Kākāpō Files II
Places: Ōkārito, South Island, Wellington, Christchurch
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