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Kiwis: Apterygidae

Conservation Status

The IUCN lists the brown kiwi as Endangered, facing a very high risk of extinction, and three kiwi species as Vulnerable, facing a high risk of extinction: the little spotted kiwi, great spotted kiwi, and brown kiwi.

UNIQUE KIWI PARENTING

Little spotted kiwis have a way of raising their young that is unique among kiwis. The male incubates the eggs for seventy days. Once the chicks hatch, the female helps in the rearing. Adult little spotted kiwis do not feed their young but the males and females escort their chicks into the forest to search for food, mainly berries and worms. With other species, the chicks are left on their own to find food after hatching. The little spotted kiwi is one of the most endangered of all kiwis. Human destruction of their habitat is the primary reason for their decline. Once common on the mainland of New Zealand, only about 1,000 remain off the mainland on Tiritiri Matangi Island, Red Mercury Island, Mana Island, Long Island, Hen Island, and Kapiti Island. They also survive on the Kaori Kiwi Reserve in Wellington as part of the government's captive breeding program.

About 1,000 years ago, there were an estimated twelve million kiwis in New Zealand. That number dropped to five million by 1930 due to hunting by humans and animals, such as dogs, cats, and stoats, which are small weasels. As of 2004, there are only about 50,000 to 60,000 kiwis left in the wild and that number is dwindling each year. In 1991, the New Zealand government began a kiwi recovery program that includes establishing kiwi sanctuaries.

Additional topics

Animal Life ResourceBirdsKiwis: Apterygidae - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Conservation Status, Brown Kiwi (apteryx Australis): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, KIWIS AND PEOPLE