Protecting Native Wildlife

Kiwi

The Kiwi House and native bird park in Otorohanga, New Zealand, is owned and operated by the Otorohanga Zoological Society, Inc.: a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of New Zealand's native wildlife through education, display, and breeding programs.

Kiwi's are an endangered flightless birds. The kiwi is the national symbol of New Zealand and Kiwi is a common term for a New Zealand resident.

In 2003, Waitomo Caves School students visited the Kiwi House as part of our study of the kiwi. Here are some of the things we found out:. 

• The Kiwi is a unique flightless bird belonging to the ratite family of birds which includes the emus and ostriches. 
• There are four species and six varieties of kiwi: the Northern Brown, Okarito Brown, Southern Tokoeka, Haast Tokoeka, Little Spotted and the Great Spotted kiwi.

The kiwi is:

• a flightless, nocturnal creature
• has no tail
• body is covered with hair-like loosely-attached feathers giving it a shaggy look
• body is cone-shaped
• head is small
• legs are powerful and muscular
• wings, which end in a small claw, are only about 30 to 50 mm. in length
• differs from other birds in that the nostrils are at the tip of the bill instead of the base
• has a well-developed sense of smell, being one of the few birds to have developed this faculty
• aided in their movements by cat-like whiskers
• females lay an egg proportionately larger to their size than any other bird
• diet consists mainly of earthworms, adult and larval beetles, caterpillars, cicadas, and spiders
• also eats fallen berries and seeds.

Bats

The bats in the Ruakuri Reserve are an endangered native species to New Zealand. The Department of Conservation has a project to monitor the bats. Students from Waitomo Caves School participate in the research gathering project by going out at dusk with bat monitors and walking some transects to detect and record bat activity.

Wild Turkey

The wild turkey is now a very common bird throughout Long Point, Turkey Point and Norfolk County.At one time the wild turkey was everywhere around here, but it became very endangered and you could not find but a dozen birds. A repopulation program started a few years ago and now hundreds of these birds can be found and their population is increasing. Every year there is a limited hunting season for them. You have to use a bow and arrow to hunt them and you had better be well camouflaged, because turkeys have very keen eye sight. The wild turkey is said to perch on top of trees and is one of the most delicious meats of all fowl meats. The wild turkey is said to be a very strong flier and can run up to speeds of 24km/h which is actually 15mph. The wild turkey can live up to 12 years.

Turkey Point was originally named for its large wild turkey population, but you could never find any. Now there are a few hundred in the woods and swamp areas and once again Turkey Point deserves its name.

Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle is the national symbol of the USA. They are big birds, that for a long time have symbolized power, courage and immortality. There are more than 50 species that belong to the hawk family. Eagles live in all major region except for Antarctica and New Zealand. Eagles eat small animals like fish, rodents, birds, snakes, turtles and rabbits. They have very good eyesight and hunt while flying high in the air or along our shore lines. They swoop down at high speed and catch and kill prey with their talons. They also steal food from other birds, like Ospreys and Herons. They build their nest on tall cliffs to stay away from small ground animals. They hunt for live animals and they eat carrion. Carrion is food that is dead already

More on the Bald Eagle

Peregrine Falcon

The peregrine falcon is becoming more visible throughout the Long Point region, Turkey Point and Norfolk County. Peregrine Falcons are also seen on mountains, woods and coasts. At one time this amazing bird was everywhere freely roaming its territory, but DDT and other chemicals killed off most of them. Some Ministry facilities had the falcon breeding in captivity to try to bring the population up, because Peregrine Falcons were becoming extinct. Ontario’s peregrine falcon population continues to show some recovery. Within Ontario and the Long Point region, they released over 500 Peregrine Falcons and they are still endangered, but recovering.

Long Point is located along the North shore of Lake Erie within the Carolinian forest zone of the World Biosphere Reserve. Long Point was one of two sites chosen across Ontario to be classified by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) as a World Biosphere Reserve. It is home to many species of animals and birds.

Backus Woods is the largest remaining woodlot in southwestern Ontario and, perhaps, the best example of a mature Carolinian forest in Canada. We did a lot of our research through the Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation which has found a home within the Grand Erie District School Board Website as a learning tool for kids.

Flying Squirrel

The Virginia northern flying Squirrel is endangered because of predators such as hawks, owls, foxes, raccoons, and bobcats. Humans have destroyed their habitats by logging trees which causes loss of their homes. Without trees, they don't have a source for food and soon die.

Info - New Zealand, West Virginia and Canada
Proofreading and editing - New Zealand, West Virginia and Canada