Manukura (kiwi) explained

Manukura (1 May 2011 – 27 December 2020), a North Island brown kiwi, was the first pure white kiwi born in captivity.[1] After Manukura's hatching, two additional white birds were also born in captivity.[2]

Manukura was born in the Pukaha / Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre. The bird was born in May 2011 with a rare genetic condition that made it all white, instead of brown.[3]

She was named by Rangitāne leader, Mike Kawana; her name is the Māori word for "chiefly status."[4]

Manukura was believed to be a male for the first year of life, but then caretakers discovered she was a female bird.[5] In 2014, Manukura was caught on film engaging in a noisy mating ritual which involved her "beating" her male partner.[6]

She died in December 2020 after having surgery to remove her ovaries and an unfertilised egg that she struggled to pass naturally.[7]

Legacy

Author Joy Cowley wrote a children's book, illustrated by Bruce Potter, about Manukura in 2012.[8] Toy manufacturers and New Zealand museums created plush replicas of the rare bird over the years.[9] [10]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rhea Mogul. The only white kiwi bird ever born in captivity has died after surgery. 2020-12-29. CNN.
  2. Web site: World's first pure white kiwi hatched in captivity, Manukura, has died. 2020-12-29. . en-NZ.
  3. Web site: 2020-12-28. Manukura the rare white kiwi dies after surgery in New Zealand. 2020-12-29. the Guardian. en.
  4. Web site: Precious white kiwi 'Manukura' dies. 2020-12-30. Māori Television. en.
  5. News: 2020-12-28. Rare white kiwi Manukura that inspired book and toys dies. en-GB. BBC News. 2020-12-29.
  6. Web site: 2014-10-22. White kiwi's unusual mating ritual. 2020-12-29. Stuff. en.
  7. News: Wildlife centre mourns death of Manukura, the first white kiwi hatched in captivity. en-NZ. TVNZ. 2020-12-30.
  8. Web site: 2013-11-06. Manukura: The White Kiwi by Joy Cowley. 2020-12-29. RNZ. en-nz.
  9. Web site: 15cm Manukura White Kiwi Soft Toy. 2020-12-29. Museums Wellington. en-GB.
  10. Web site: Manukura, the rare white kiwi bird who inspired toys and children's book, dies. Time24 News. 2020-12-29. en-US.