Lambert prepares for fatherhood...
Great news from the Whangarei Heads in Northland, Lambert our featured kiwi is preparing for fatherhood! Lambert was found to be sitting on an egg when Todd Hamilton, kiwi ranger for the ‘Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum’ made a routine visit to change his transmitter in early August. Since then it has been discovered that Lambert is incubating not just one, but two eggs.
After his release at Whangarei Heads in July 2008, Lambert has remained on the Taurikura Ridge, roaming between the pines, the native bush and particularly enjoying the pockets of pampas grass. Now, at just 2 ½ years of age, Lambert has paired up with one of the resident kiwi to start a family. It is the male kiwi who incubates the eggs, giving the female time to recover from the demands of producing and laying such large eggs.
Lambert will be left alone for the next 80 days while he incubates the two eggs in his clutch. Hopefully both eggs will successfully hatch and help ensure the long term sustainability of the kiwi population at Whangarei Heads. The rigorous pest control activities undertaken by the 'Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum' have dramatically reduced the population of preditors such as cats, rats and mustelids, giving the youngsters a good chance of survival.
This project is funded by a number of sponsors, including BNZ Save the Kiwi, Transpower Landcare Trust grant, NRC, ASB Community Trust, Biodiversity Condition Fund and WWF.
