Kiwi Forest
A year in the making, Kiwi Forest features our nocturnal house, home to our 2 kiwi; Awatiro and Rangipō. The Kiwi Forest house provides our kiwi with a state of the art New Zealand forest setting and will immerse you in a true night-time forest experience.
Kiwi Forest also includes giant weta as well as other native species. The wetland walkway will take you past our Asian short-clawed otters and onto a large platform where you can view hundreds of short-finned eels.
Our indoor nocturnal house is the highlight of Kiwi Forest and is one of the most modern, high-tech houses constructed in New Zealand. The highly sophisticated lighting system simulates night time and encourages kiwi to be more interactive. The large viewing window provides visitors the best opportunity to see these national treasures.
Discover our Northern Brown Kiwi
The 2 brown kiwi at Butterfly Creek are now part of the nationwide captive population of brown kiwi. Young kiwi arrive at Butterfly Creek where they then spend 2 or 3 years maturing into adults. When able to fend for themselves, they are then released into a suitable “wild” habitat. Whilst at Butterfly Creek they provide an excellent educational vehicle for visitors who not only have an opportunity to see kiwi but also to learn about how special kiwi are and how important it is to safeguard their future.
Did you know…
- Kiwi lay a very large egg in relation to their body size.
- Kiwi do have wings! However, these are very hard to see as they are very small.
- Kiwi have cat-like whiskers which help them move through their environment.
- People often say that kiwi have the smallest beaks of any bird. This is because beaks are usually measured from the tip of the beak to the bird’s nostrils, but kiwi are the only birds to have their nostrils at the tips of their beak!
Butterfly Creek’s role in Kiwi conservation
Butterfly Creek is an active participant in the conservation programme for brown kiwi. Young kiwi arrive at Butterfly Creek where they then spend 2 or 3 years maturing into adults. When able to fend for themselves, they are then released into a suitable ‘wild’ habitat.
In 2017 Butterfly Creek opened Kiwi Forest with the flagship exhibit being a state-of-the art kiwi nocturnal house. The house provides a superb nocturnal environment catering to every need of our two brown kiwi. The heavily planted exhibit boasts a highly advanced lighting system in a temperature-controlled environment, contributing to a wonderful night forest environment for them to exhibit their natural behaviour. Kiwi Forest is a testament to Butterfly Creek’s conservation efforts, with approximately $1 million invested to provide these endangered birds with a haven in which they can thrive.
Whilst at Butterfly Creek they provide an excellent educational experience for visitors who not only have an opportunity to see kiwi, but also to learn about how special they are and how important it is to safeguard their future.
Read more about Butterfly Creek’s conservation and sustainability activities
