
A rare bird has been “spotted” for the first time since 1978 on the main islands of New Zealand.
The bird, a kiwi pukupuku, is also known as a dwarf or little spotted kiwi. There are five species of kiwi, and the kiwi pukupuku is the smallest species—weighing in at a maximum of about 5 pounds. Scientists estimate 2,000 of the little spotted kiwi remain, but that number is increasing thanks to conservation efforts.
Kiwi are flightless birds that sleep in burrows during the day, becoming active at night to find food in the soil and letting out loud, shrill calls. They’re also the only birds in the world with nostrils at the end of their beaks!
For the last 50 years, the little spotted kiwi was thought to be extinct on the main islands, only being found on New Zealand’s offshore islands and in fenced predator-free spaces.
The search for the little bird began after a hunter spotted it in March in a remote wilderness area. The Department of Conservation brought in Biodiversity Ranger Iain Graham and his conservation dog, Brew, to locate the bird.
“I heard kiwi calling the first night—two of them duetting—and immediately knew they didn’t sound like other kiwi. It was exciting, but it took a few days to narrow down the area,” said Graham.
Graham and Brew work through a government program that mentors, certifies and supports teams in detecting New Zealand’s protected species. Graham and Brew were flown in to the remote area to search for the little spotted kiwi.
“We’re grateful to the hunter for reporting this and capturing evidence. It was like finding a needle in a haystack, but he pointed us to the right patch to start searching,” said Kiwi Recovery Group leader Emily King. “Kiwi pukupuku are one of those unique species which make Aotearoa New Zealand so special. I’m not sure how to express how thrilling this rediscovery is for the conservation world!”
Wildfire Burns Down Grand Canyon Lodge
A lightning-sparked wildfire along the canyon’s North Rim burned down the famous Grand Canyon Lodge on July 12.
A storm rolled into the area on the Fourth of July. Even though it rained, conditions on the ground remained dangerously dry. A lightning strike started the Dragon Bravo fire, with dry, windy conditions spreading the flames and making them UNPREDICTABLE.
The North Rim is breathtakingly beautiful but not visited as often as the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. With an average elevation of 8,000 feet, the North Rim stands 1,000 feet higher than the South Rim. While it attracts just 10 percent of the National Park’s visitors, that still adds up to 5 million North Rim visitors a year!
Fortunately, officials evacuated the area in time, including the Grand Canyon Lodge and its dozens of stand alone cabins. But firefighting crews were not able to defend the lodge and surrounding cabins. The lodge burned down along with 70–80 other structures. Smoke eerily filled parts of the canyon.
Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time the Grand Canyon Lodge burned down! In 1932, just four years after the lodge first opened, a kitchen fire destroyed the place. As of press time, more than 1,200 firefighters and support personnel are fighting the Dragon Bravo fire, which has burned more than 123,000 acres.
On July 9, lightning set off a second blaze 35 miles north of there. This wildfire is almost completely contained at 60,000 acres.