North Island Brown Kiwi Hatches At San Diego Zoo Safari Park

SAN DIEGO, CA — For the first time, a North Island brown kiwi has hatched at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, park officials announced Thursday. The male chick hatched June 13 at the park in Escondido.

"We are very excited over the hatching of this chick," said Andrew Stehly, curator of birds at San Diego Zoo Safari Park. "Northern Island brown kiwis are notoriously difficult to breed in human care, and this is the first time we have hatched this species at the Safari Park."

The chick was hatched to parents who were paired for the first time through a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan, according to the Safari Park. The plan aims to "help maintain a healthy assurance population" of the species.

The adult male initially incubated the egg. At the recommendation of the plan, staff later removed the egg from the nest and placed it in an incubator for almost two weeks, according to the Safari Park. Lacking an egg tooth, the chick kicked its way out of the shell and fully emerged with shaggy feathers.

"While it is a success for our dedicated team of wildlife care specialists, more importantly, this hatching allows us to learn more about the North Island brown kiwi, further contributing to the conservation efforts for this species," Stehly said.

There are five species of kiwi, and they are protected by law in their native country of New Zealand. The brown kiwi is a flightless bird about the size of a chicken.

The North Island brown kiwi is listed as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. Despite having legal protection, kiwi numbers are declining mostly due to predation by non-native species, including dogs and cats, according to the Safari Park. About 95 percent of all kiwi chicks are killed before they reach the age of 6 months.