Discover the best places to see kiwi in New Zealand, from predator-free sanctuaries in Auckland and Wellington to Stewart Island’s wild trails. Learn where and how to spot our rare national bird, and how conservation is helping them thrive.
Listen to the kiwi while you read!
What is a kiwi?
The kiwi is a strange wee bird. Flightless, half-blind, and nocturnal it spends most of its life snuffling about in the dark for worms and insects, guided by nostrils set near the tip of its long, flexible beak. Which, by the odd rules of beak measurement (typically nostril-to-beak), means the kiwi technically has the shortest beak of any bird. A mighty 3mm.
It gets weirder. The kiwi lays an egg so big it defies biology, six times the size of a chicken’s, from an animal about the same size. That’s one of the largest egg-to-body ratios of any bird on the planet. One of these behemoths take about 30 days to develop. It’s then stashed in a burrow, dug like a badger’s (naturally), where the male will incubate it for 75-90 days.
For all these quirks, and despite the constant threat posed by introduced predators over the last 800 years or so, five species of kiwi have been surviving in our forests for millions of years. We’re fiercely proud of our stoic little bird down here in Aotearoa. So proud, in fact, we call ourselves Kiwis.
And yet, most of us haven’t seen one in the wild. Not even the born-and-bred.
Why is it so hard to see a kiwi?
Our shaggy emblem is nocturnal, shy, and superbly camouflaged. I’ve spent hours following the distinctive “Creeee” by red head-torch light, and only once has that led to a sighting. A good litmus test of their knack for remaining hidden.
Stealth isn’t the whole story. Blame the usual suspects: habitat loss, off-leash dogs, prowling cats, and a rogue’s’ gallery of introduced mammalian predators. Stoats, especially, are public enemy number one. Per the Department of Conservation (DOC) only 10% of unmanaged kiwi chicks live to see six months. Stoats account for half those deaths.
The future
The good news? Decades of concerted conservation efforts are paying off. In many predator-controlled areas, kiwi numbers are slowly climbing, and their shrill call is increasingly heard echoing eerily through bush.
So, if you’re hoping for an encounter, your best bet is to visit a sanctuary or conservation centre. Luckily, there are some excellent options near places where our travellers often have free time on their Hiking New Zealand trips: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.
Places to see kiwi
Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland:
Jump on a ferry to Tiritiri Matangi or Rotoroa, predator-free islands in the beautiful Hauraki Gulf. Both sanctuaries abound with birdlife, including North Island brown kiwi (Rotoroa) and little spotted kiwi (Tiritiri Matangi) going about their business after dark.
Overnight in the lighthouse keepers’ quarters on Tiritiri Matangi, or in one of Rotoroa’s fabulous little cottages and you might spot one nosing through the leaf litter on a nighttime wander. Local guides and rangers can give you tips to boost your chances. Be sure to bring a red-light torch and book ahead. These places are special, and the beds fill fast.
If time’s tight, Auckland Zoo’s Te Pō (The Night) is a nocturnal house home to North Island brown kiwi. It’s about as close as you’ll get to the real thing without leaving town. The program contributes to conservation efforts as part of kiwi recovery tool Operation Nest Egg (O.N.E). Check out this fantastic initiative here.
Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington:
Your best shot in the capital is Zealandia, a mainland ‘island’ sanctuary with an impressive predator-proof fence and a 500-year vision to restore the valley’s ecosystem to a pre-human state. Visiting is like going back in time. More than 200 kiwi live in the sanctuary, and guided dusk/night tours have an 80% chance of sightings. Book far in advance, seriously!
Watch This Space:
Not far from Zealandia, the Capital Kiwi Project has brought kiwi back to a Wellington hinterland that hasn’t known their presence for decades. One of the nation’s standout conservation successes, the 24,000-hectare protected area has seen chicks hatch and grow in the wild - the first time this has happened in the Wellington region in 150 years. Couple this with the remarkable urban conservation efforts of Predator Free Wellington, and the possibility of a future where kiwi roam suburban streets and gardens begins to feel not so farfetched.
Ōtautahi / Christchurch:
Not far from Christchurch Airport, you can visit Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, where you can view kiwi in a purpose-built nocturnal house. Willowbank plays a key role in Operation Nest Egg. They incubatedeggs for four separate kiwi species and have successfully re-introduced 600 kiwi back into the wild.
Tahuna / Queenstown:
Head for the Kiwi Park in central Queenstown. Their purpose-built nocturnal house is home to several southern brown kiwi, and the entry fee supports active conservation projects across Otago and Southland. Tours run daily with knowledgeable keepers who are more than happy to share the latest on wild populations.
Where can I see kiwi on the trail?
A visit to Rakiura, Stewart Island is perhaps the best opportunity most people will have to see a kiwi when hiking in New Zealand. The Stewart Island kiwi, or tokoeka in Māori, are unique as they’re sometimes active in daylight and often seen by hikers! It is estimated that about a third of New Zealand's kiwi live on Stewart Island, making it one of the best places to see the birds in the wild.
Words by Louis Davidson
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