Public access to the takahē wetland area has been closed for several weeks after a rare takahē chick hatched at Zealandia, the Wellington wildlife sanctuary said in a statement today.
The chick is believed to have hatched last Wednesday.
Zealandia conservation manager Danielle Shanahan said, "We are really excited to have a new addition to our whānau".
"But this is nature and of course, anything could happen."
The young takahē was born to 14-year-old Nio and 18-year-old Orbell, who were moved to Zealandia last year from Mana Island to free up space for younger birds.
The sanctuary said while the rare birds are safer in predator-free environments such as Zealandia, the chicks are vulnerable to wet spring weather conditions and parents may struggle to find the right food to support them, Zealandia said.
The wetland area has been closed to give the birds space, as well as supplying the parents with nutritious food for the young chick.
"We are incredibly lucky to have a huge team of volunteers and staff who are ensuring the parents have access to supplementary food throughout the day."
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