Watch: Pair of 'feisty' kiwi birds welcomed to new home near Auckland Airport

Bird keepers at Auckland's Butterfly Creek animal enclosure are excited about the arrival of two new Kiwi birds, Opi and Tapu.

Butterfly Creek's animal enclosure has today welcomed two kiwi birds to its growing family of weird and wonderful attractions.

Just down the road from Auckland Airport, the arrival of the kiwis mean Auckland Zoo is no longer the only place to see our native bird in the city.

Opi and Tapu, Brown Kiwis from Otorohanga, made the two and a half hour journey from Otorohanga this morning and have since been settling into their brand new enclosure.

The male and female, both only a year old, are the first kiwis to join Butterfly Creek.

Kiwi House manager Rebecca Moyle said she hopes to breed chicks from Tapu in the future.

"Tapu is quite feisty, she's got a bit of an attitude," Moyle said.

"Kiwi is often what people think of when they come to New Zealand.

"I think a lot of people they'd be disappointed if they left not having seen kiwi so it's a great opportunity for them and also those who are leaving and haven't seen them on their travels."  

The birds will have a month to settle in before the kiwi enclosure opens to the public in December.

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