It looked like a decent fight and for all we know may still be going.

A couple of kiwi got into squabble on Ulva Island in a video posted earlier today.

The kiwi face off and keep pecking and chasing each other while on a track on Ulva Island.

Ulva Island is a small island just off Oban and is free of all pests.

The video was posted by Rakuira Adventure, who runs tours and boat trips around Stewart Island, and said it had come from a guest who they were trying to find them so they could give them a credit.

No-one from Rakuira Adventure could be contacted yesterday with the operators on a winter break.

It may seem odd for those living on the mainland and beyond to see a couple of the national bird squabbling but kiwi are prolific in nature on Stewart Island.

Former Southern District councillor Bruce Ford said there were plenty of kiwi on the island.

He said you could be lying in bed at night and could hear them wandering around gardens and pecking away at the ground.

"It is a common occurrence around here. We live in the middle of town and they are always running through our house, through the night. You get up the next day and you can see where they have been pecking away looking for worms," he said.

He had heard of the animals scrapping but was not sure what that was about. Like all animals kiwi were territorial, he said

There were some operators who ran some kiwi finding tours at night. But they were not hard to spot especially at night.

With an increase in poisoning of predators such as rats may have led to an increase in kiwi, he said.