A rare white kiwi chick has been born at New Zealand's Pukaha Mount Bruce National Wildlife Center. The bird, was named Manukura or "Chiefly One" by members of a local Maori tribe.

A rare white kiwi chick has been born at New Zealand's Pukaha Mount Bruce National Wildlife Center. The bird, was named Manukura or "Chiefly One" by members of a local Maori tribe.

It will lead a protected early life - unlike wild kiwis that face non-native predators that are slowly wiping them out. Officials said white kiwis are spotted in the wild about every three or four years, but the last one in captivity was released in 1915. The small, flightless birds are usually brown.

A rare white kiwi chick has been born at New Zealand's Pukaha Mount Bruce National Wildlife Center. The bird, was named Manukura or "Chiefly One" by members of a local Maori tribe.

The bird is being hand-reared in the reserve's new kiwi nursery, and will remain closely protected for at least the first year of his life. Once the bird is able to fend for itself, it will either be kept in a predator-proof environment at the reserve, or be released into the wild to take its chances in nature.