Kiwi home-swap deepens the gene pool

Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust

News release

FT013

28 June 2012

Swap - 1

Kiwi home-swap deepens the gene pool

Collaboration highlights complex nature of NZ conservation

Eight young North Island Brown kiwi switched Bays today in a home-swapping story that illustrates perfectly the complex scientific, collaborative private/public partnership that kiwi conservation has become. Two young males and two young females from the Forest Lifeforce Restoration (FLR) Trusts Maungataniwha Native Forest in inland Hawkes Bay set off for their new home in the Whirinaki Forest Park in neighbouring Bay of Plenty, and were replaced by four birds from there.

Although in different provinces the Whirinaki and Maungataniwha forests are only about 25 km apart. The transfer will boost the genetic diversity of both projects kiwi population as the birds that have been put back into both forests through Operation Nest Egg have been the offspring of fewer than 15 breeding pairs, with most coming from just a few good breeders.

Without this human-induced genetic dispersal in-breeding may eventually result, said Sarah King, protected species ranger at DOCs Te Urewera Area Office. This would lead to reduced health among the birds and the potential for populations to fall victim to disease, which in turn could have catastrophic results.

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Kiwi home-swap deepens the gene pool