Yes, I know. I’m in New Zealand ok, I have to see some kiwi birds in person! I would feel incomplete if I went to the home of the kiwis without actually seeing a kiwi bird. And anyway, Otorohanga Kiwi House has a great collection of birds native to this beautiful country, as well as some very cute reptiles! Now I love my birds. I could sit outside and watch them all day. But here, I can familiarise myself with the native New Zealand birds, some of which I’d never even heard of. What do you mean they have giant pigeons?
How It All Began
Otorohanga Kiwi House began with people’s dream to save New Zealand’s diminishing flora and fauna, including the national icon, the kiwi bird. A nocturnal avery was built to house and care for kiwis while receiving donations from the public and organisations. At the time, this was only the second nocturnal house of the time, with a permit being very hard to come by to be able to house the native birds. But the founders weren’t going to give up on what they believed in, and the Otorohanga Kiwi House was completed, permit and all! The site now works with others to breed and release threatened species in the wild, as well as participating in conservation work for New Zealand’s future.
Obviously, the first thing we had to see at Otorohanga House was the kiwis. Because the birds are nocturnal, the kiwi house reverses the day cycles so that the kiwis are active during the day and sleep during the night, so that visitors can actually spot the little creatures. Most New Zealanders haven’t actually seen a kiwi bird in the wild because of their nocturnal nature, so making the avery dark during the day is very clever. Although, it did take a while for our eyes to adjust to actually see the birds or anything for that matter! But when they finally got used to the dark, there they were, right up close! In came one of the keepers for the keeper talk to tell us more about the birds and their life at Otorhanga House. There was a male and female kiwi in the enclosure, Remi and Pudding. Remi was very active and trying to call for his girlfriend Pudding, although it seemed like all she wanted to do was sleep. She wasn’t having any of it! But Remi kept on trying. And trying… And trying.
It’s More Than Just A Kiwi House!
After the kiwi talk, we met another one of New Zealand’s favourite characters; the kea! These birds are known across the South Island for destroying any rubber or plastic parts of cars and being impossible to shoo away. They are very inquisitive birds, and very intelligent. When we arrived at the kea enclosure, the keeper had just set down a box full of branches and leaves to pull out to satisfy his destructive fascination. And just like that, he was straight to it! Next door to the kea was the kaka, another large parrot with just as much personality. One of them was coming right up to the side of its enclosure to say hi to everyone while the keeper told us a little more about the 2 kakas they had in captivity. We were almost face-to-face, and the birds just didn’t mind at all. While the keeper kept talking, these little, well not so little, guys were having a snack on some fruit… And fighting over the same piece. There was plenty more in the bird feeder but we’ll just leave them be.
Although it’s called Otorohanga Kiwi House, they have so many native birds and wildlife to admire, many of which you can appreciate up close in the walkthrough wildlife enclosure! I love these kinds of enclosures at zoos and wildlife parks. It builds a connection with the animals and the people. Here they had all kinds of birds and lizards, some of which were very inquisitive as we walked along the path. Others however weren’t as brave, but that’s okay considering a lot of the animals at Otorohanga Kiwi House are endangered or declining species. They still make for great models!
Some of the birds here were absolutely stunning! I love watching the rainbow lorikeets chewing on the bottle brush tree outside my bedroom window while I’m writing, and spotting a beautiful bird on a hike just makes the exercise all worth it. So being able to see all of New Zealand’s birdlife while I’m in the country felt like a dream for me. The Sacred Kingfisher was definitely a highlight with the gorgeous blues and golds looking so regal. Another favourite was the kereru, or the New Zealand pigeon. Now, I know what you’re thinking… “It’s a pigeon. What’s so special?” This pigeon is 50 centimetres from beak to tail! With a wingspan of 75 centimetres! Now that’s a big pigeon.
All that was left now were the less feathery critters, geckos! They were so cute, well the ones we could find anyway. Some of them were camouflaged so well into the leaves and bark that we couldn’t even find them. Others were looking straight at the camera and smiling! They also had a pond nearby with the cutest, fluffiest baby duck! The pond was supposed to have a longfin eel in it, but as much as Dad was pointing it out to me, I still couldn’t see it. So I just kept watching the little duckling paddle on having the time of its life.
Now it wouldn’t be a true New Zealand holiday without coming home with a stuffed kiwi. Well, not for me anyway. Buying all these things from the gift shops I visit when I travel, is like taking home a memory for me. I’m a very visual person and hold onto physical items that are special to me. If you’ve read the “About Me” section of my blog, you’ll know that I have temporal lobe epilepsy which affects my memory in many ways. So by taking home these small reminders, I can hold onto the memories I don’t want to forget. Because New Zealand really is a special place. And I’m not going to let that go!
All photos in this post are taken by me.
For more information about the work of Otorohanga Kiwi House and New Zealand’s native animals, visit https://www.kiwihouse.org.nz/
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