A kiwi bird hit by a car in Northland is now on the road to recovery.

Sheryl the kiwi was found in a pile of leaves on the side of a Tututaka road on Saturday.

The bird had been released into the wild just six weeks ago.

She is unable to walk due to bruising on her legs.

However, Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre spokesperson Robert Webb says it appears Sheryl's legs just need some time to recover from bruising.

"It's a bit like when some of the boys get hurt in the All Blacks. They get a severe bash in the hips, they're off for as couple of a weeks as they can hardly walk, but then the bruising comes down and you start to feel better after that and away you go again."

Webb hopes that more Northland drivers will keep a lookout for kiwi.

"Once she's re-released, they'll release her in safe zone away from the road, but because the kiwi's are sods like that they'll walk for miles and end up near a road. So really the public [need to be] aware of it."