Most kiwi chicks that go through Operation Nest Egg are given a special code and a name. All chicks are microchipped.
The first part of the code is the Forest code, e.g. Mt for Maungataniwha.
The second part of the code is the Sire’s code, e.g. Spd for Spud.
The last part of the code is a number, e.g. 3, the 3rd egg from Spud.
So, the code for this chick would be Mt. Spd3.
It’s a long day if you have to constantly refer to the chick as Mt.Spd3 or Mt.Wu68, especially with a brooder room full of chicks.
So, they get given a house name. Sometimes, the names are derived from the code, sometimes from a characteristic, or sometimes a theme will follow particular chicks through the process.
Spud is a perfect example. Spud’s chicks are all named after a potato theme. Tater Tot, Butterball, Agria, Latke, and Chippy are some of the examples of Spuds chicks.
Another male is Plummet; Plummet’s chicks are often given a falling name like Freefall and Bungee.
I remember naming a chick Swanee because it had the number 22 in the code, so it looked like two swans.
The taxi’s code was derived from its code Mt.Tat16, which kind of looks like a taxi if you rotate the “t” slightly on its axis.
Mt. Ath7 was called Euclid (work that one out).
Many years ago, a male was found sitting on a wine bottle in a nest. All his chicks (until we ran out of wine ideas) were called Shiraz, Syrah, Savvy, and so on.
Here’s to the happy naming of many more Kiwi chicks to be returned to the wild.
Article written by
Bev Wilkinson - WReNNZ member and Save the Kiwi Manager of the Napier Kiwi Creche
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