Miriam Strachan, Kiwi Keeper at the Napier Kiwi Crèche had a fantastic opportunity to help with the recent massive egg lift with Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust. Read about her experience below.
On the 15th of September, I had the amazing opportunity to join the crew at Maungataniwha Forest to assist with some kiwi egg lifts. After six years of working with kiwi—having worked in incubation/hatching, chick rearing, and being fortunate enough to release chicks back into the wild—this experience finally completed the circle for me. I was beyond excited when I heard I’d get to see what goes into the egg lifting process firsthand!
Miriam has been a Kiwi Keeper at the Napier Kiwi Crèche for six years.
I teamed up with kiwi legend and expert egg lifter Tamsin. Being out in the beautiful native forest, hiking to the males’ nests, and seeing the process unfold was deeply rewarding. The egg-lifting crew does an extraordinary job retrieving those precious eggs from some seriously rugged terrain.
This particular lift turned out to be the second largest ever from Maungataniwha, with 21 viable eggs safely transported to the hatcheries. Eggs were carefully tucked into specially prepared travel boxes to preserve them during transport and keep them warm.
The poly bins above are filled with foam and have a cozy indent for the egg (or up to two eggs in the larger ones). This is likely the same kind of poly bin you would use to carry a six-pack to a party.
Once eggs are removed from the nest, they are checked for viability and put into an upright position with a pencil mark on top of the egg making sure they are safe and balanced for travel. They are placed in an egg transport box and carefully carried out by foot to a vehicle.
Miriam (right) and Tamsin (left) marking eggs before they are transported
One of the highlights was meeting Prince, a male kiwi whose offspring I’ve helped rear at the crèche. What a full-circle moment! Most eggs are lifted at night when the male has left the burrow to feed, but sometimes the nests are just not safe for a human to access in the dark at night and Prince’s nest was one of those. After safely removing and storing his eggs, we did a quick check-up, adjusted his transmitter, weighed him, and returned him to his beautifully crafted burrow—almost invisible under a blanket of fern fronds. Huge credit to Tamsin’s trained eye for spotting it! The hike to his burrow was no joke, but surrounded by stunning bush, it hardly felt like work.
I’ve heard plenty about the tricky places wild kiwi choose to burrow, and wow—did I get to see that up close! One male, Maida, had burrowed about a meter in and then made a sharp turn uphill. Out came the saw to cut through roots at the entrance, just to make room for Tamo [Tamsin] to shimmy in and reach the eggs. Kiwi egg lifting is no small feat—spades and saws are definitely essential gear!
Lifting eggs from nests is no easy task! Tamsin’s trained eye spotted Prince’s nest under a blanket of fern fronds.
What an absolutely incredible experience. Thank you so much to Tamo, Pete Shaw (manager of the Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust), and Simon Hall (the landowner where the kiwi are thriving) for letting me be part of the incredible work you do. I loved every moment and already can’t wait for the next one 😊
