Kiwi
Meet New Zealand's national icon up close in our nocturnal kiwi house.
Feeding: straight after eel feeding (10am, 12pm & 3pm)
Meet our kiwi
Hokinga Mai
"To Return"
Male · hatched 2 December 2017
Turehu
"Pale One"
Male · hatched 18 January 2018
Quick kiwi facts
Night owls
Kiwi come out at night and their eyes are sensitive to light – that's why our kiwi house is kept dark.
Nose on the beak
Their nostrils sit at the tip of their long beak, perfect for sniffing out food in the ground.
Hairy feathers
Soft, hair-like feathers and whiskers like a cat.
Big strong feet
Fleshy pads and strong claws for digging burrows.
Hungry diggers
Worms, bugs, weta, fruit and seeds – and sometimes a crawly!
Why "Kiwis"?
New Zealanders got the nickname in World War I, from a kiwi on a tin of boot polish.
Kiwi of the West Coast
The West Coast is home to some of New Zealand's rarest kiwi, including the rowi from Okarito forest, the Haast tokoeka and the great spotted kiwi (roroa).
Programmes like Operation Nest Egg hatch eggs safely and raise chicks on predator-free islands until they're big enough to come home. The National Kiwi Centre proudly supports kiwi conservation.
Come and meet them
Open daily 9am–5pm · No booking needed
Prices & Opening Hours