A 46-year-old female kiwi has hatched an egg with a 9-year-old male kiwi in the hills of Mākara in Wellington.
"Our queen Anahera is at least 46 years old, her current partner Nouveau is 9, so age gap relationship," Capital Kiwi Project founder Paul Ward said.
"She just gets a new young boyfriend every decade or so, so she's living the dream I suppose you might say."
The kiwi couple had an egg last year, but it didn't hatch.
"This year their egg has hatched, and I guess she's a symbol for middle-aged wahine everywhere, still going strong in her forties, and still wild and productive," Ward said.
Nouveau, aged 9, left, and Anahera, aged 46, right. (Source: 1News)
The breeding success of the age gap couple has added to a thriving kiwi population in Wellington, which is being closely monitored.
"In total we've got 139 adult kiwi out here," Ward said.
Nouveau and Anahera's chick. (Source: 1News)
This year, kiwi have been sighted in suburbs as far north as Johnsonville.
"We had a backyard security camera in Broadmeadows pick up a kiwi, we've had a night-riding mountain biker in Mākara peak come across a kiwi," he said.
Map of kiwi sightings in Wellington in 2024. (Source: 1News)
Compared to this time last year, the amount of wild kiwi chicks in Wellington's hills has doubled.
With all the new kiwi, the project is asking Wellington schools to help out with naming the birds.
"You can write into us at Capital Kiwi and give us your names that you would love to see be bestowed upon these chicks," Kaimanaaki Kiwi Rawiri Walsh said.
"We're just getting started, so bring it on, we're restoring our connection with our hills and with the natural things that make us special," Ward said.
