Tuatahi was born at the bird park Avifauna after "years of waiting", according to Dutch broadcaster Omroep West (File photo).

A kiwi has been born in a zoo in the Netherlands, the first ever, and it has a special name that reflects this significance.

Tuatahi, which means the first, or the first one, is a first for the 2018 international breeding programme, according to the New Zealand embassy in the Netherlands.

Lyndal Walker, New Zealand's ambassador to the Netherlands, was at the ceremony to reveal the kiwi and announce its name.

Tuatahi was born at the bird park Avifauna after "years of waiting", according to Dutch broadcaster Omroep West.

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The chick hatched on September 18 after 80 days of incubation, Omroep West reported.

Avifauna didn't announce the arrival of Tuatahi until it had survived its first crucial weeks.

"A lot can go wrong during that first period, but the animal is in perfect health," a spokesperson for Avifauna said.

"The mother leaves the brooding and takes care of the father completely."

Tuatahi is the first kiwi to hatch from a worldwide breeding programme involving sixteen zoos, it was reported.

Kiwi have previously been born overseas, including at least two at the Smithsonian Institute in the US.